The Bham Now Team Celebrates #CollegeColorsDay
Reading time: 9 minutes
As college football season is (finally) here, so is another tradition: College Colors Day! This annual celebration is observed nationwide by students, parents, family, fans, and alumni. To celebrate, all you have to do is wear your college team’s colors or college/university apparel.
The Bham Now team has decided to honor this tradition by donning our colors and answering some questions about our beloved schools! The team represents 4 Birmingham area universities; Samford University, the University of Alabama, the University of Montevallo (which does not have a football team), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (which had a football team, then didn’t, now has one again – YAY).
READ ON TO CELEBRATE WITH US!
SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
WADE CLINE
Status / Major: Senior / Marketing
Why did you choose Samford? Samford has been in my families’ history since my great grandfather help establish the campus on Lakeshore. Since high school I always knew I wanted to go and it definitely helped that the Brock School of Business was/is a very distinguishable college.
Favorite tradition? My Favorite Tradition are the tailgates on Saturday. Being in a fraternity, Sigma Chi, it’s always a great time to get out to be with friends, family, and see everyone supporting the school.
Favorite campus hangout? To be honest, my favorite hangout is the Caf. I know, weird right, but first of all I like to eat and second you can also study and socialize all day in there. It’s always a good place to just get away, without having to walk all the way back to my dorm.
What do you miss when you’re away? When away, on breaks, I miss my friends and just the general atmosphere of campus. Everyone is super inviting and seems to care about each other’s success. Breaks are good, but when all your friends are from out of state, anticipating school is a normal thing for Samford Students.
MARSHALL LYLES
Status / Major: Sophomore / Journalism and Mass Communications
Why did you choose Samford? Samford University was a leap of faith for me. Baseball had been my entire life growing up. My first word was literally ball. Everyone that knew me, knew that I wanted to play college baseball, and that was what they wanted for me. When the time came to pick a college to attend, I thought for sure I would pick a school I could play baseball at. However, the more I thought and prayed about it, the more I realized that God was telling me He had bigger plans for my life than just college baseball, and those plans were not going to be fulfilled at the schools I was looking at for baseball. For the first time, I visited a school not for baseball, and it was Samford University. I fell in love as soon as I stepped on campus. I loved the small campus community and how friendly everyone I met was. By the time I left my visit, I knew that Samford was the place for me, and one thing led to another and in the fall of 2015 I was in the full swing of things at my new home.
Favorite tradition? My favorite tradition at Samford is Connections Weekend. The first weekend before classes start, all of the freshmen arrive early and are put in a small group of students with two Connections Leaders. The two leaders are Samford students that are sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The groups are taken through different activities and go different places all for the sake of building community. On my Connections weekend, we were taken to a Barron’s baseball game for free and had a neon dance party. The Connections weekend really helps students to engage with each other and meet each other, but most importantly it helps Samford feel like a home.
Favorite campus hangout? My favorite hangout spot on campus is Ben Brown Plaza. It is an outdoor area in the middle of campus paved with concrete and brick. It is the common hangout area between classes and before and after lunch. It is difficult to walk through Ben Brown without seeing somebody I know. There are also concerts, inflatables, and free food occasionally in Ben Brown. Right in the middle of the plaza is a fountain. It could be considered a cardinal sin to not jump in the fountain before finishing school at Samford. Most people jump in the fountain at night, because they believe they could go in trouble from the school. What most students don’t know is that there is no rule prohibiting someone from jumping into the fountain.
What do you miss when you’re away? When I leave Samford for breaks and the end of semesters, the thing I miss the most is the community. The people at Samford are the best thing about the campus. I have never been in a place where the people are more friendly and genuine. The friendships that I have made at Samford will last a lifetime, and there are so many people that truly care about me and who I am, not just what I can do for them. I have had professors offer to go to the store for me when I was sick, and I have friends that would do anything for me. Samford is really not like any other school I have seen, and it has become my favorite place to be.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
HAILEY GRACE STEELE
Status / Major: Graduate student / Journalism
Why did you choose the University of Alabama? Growing up in Tuscaloosa, I always appreciated the University of Alabama for its lively contributions to our community. Yes I loved Alabama football, but more than football I loved the diversity, knowledge and opportunity that were cultivated on UA’s campus and freely shared with the people of Tuscaloosa. I didn’t always think I would end up at Alabama for my undergraduate – and now graduate – education but I’m so glad I did!
Favorite tradition? Besides the obvious answer (winning at football), I really enjoy the student-run farmers market that takes place on Thursday afternoons in the fall. Seeing how far Homegrown Alabama has come since I started school in 2009 is really exciting to me! I love that it benefits the whole community and that it’s obviously something our students are passionate about.
Favorite campus hangout? Woods quad is the coolest place on campus to me! The little quad is encapsulated by Woods Hall and Clark Hall, both of which are home to the majority of UA’s art and dance studios. It’s also a bit tucked away, so taking a book to read on a quiet bench or climbing to the fourth floor balcony for a sunset is always refreshing.
What do you miss when you’re away? Fortunately for me, I’m never too far from the University of Alabama. When I am, the thing I miss most is the energy of the students and the faculty. UA provides such an awesome environment for learning, growing and discovering who you are both academically and personally.
UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO
HUNTER HOLLAND
Status / Major: Alumna / Marketing
Why did you choose the University of Montevallo? It was kind of a whim. After graduating from community college, all I knew was that I wanted to be on a small campus close to home that offered what I wanted to pursue. I had only heard of Montevallo briefly, and only visited once on a random day trip with a couple of my friends. It just felt right!
Favorite tradition? COLLEGE NIGHT! GV! It’s the oldest college tradition in the United States and is completely student-run. To put it simply, the two sides – purple and gold – work for weeks to produce a musical while also participating in athletic events to accumulate points. The side with the most points wins and is announced on the last night after all of the performances have concluded.
Favorite campus hangout? I honestly loved hanging out in my dorm room. It was huge and very homey, so I was usually in there if I didn’t have anything else to do. Eclipse Coffee & Books is also a favorite spot. I never leave without having a Cake Batter Milkshake and a Truck Stop Honey!
What do you miss when you’re away? I miss the atmosphere and the people. It feels like a totally different world in Montevallo. Not just because literally everything is covered with bricks, but the people there are so unique, friendly, and accepting. When I’m away, I realize that not every place is like that.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
KAYLA GLADNEY
Status / Major: Alumna / Film Production with African American Studies minor
Why did you choose UAB? I chose UAB because it was close to home, but not too close.
Favorite tradition? Walking the green at night.
Favorite campus hangout? Student Media office
What do you miss when you’re away? Chicken chipotle’ flatbread sandwiches from Zebi/Zime in the BEC
VICKY LEWIS
Status / Major: Senior / Marketing with Social Media concentration
Why did you choose UAB? Other than an awesome business program that is really hands on, I definitely chose UAB because of the beautiful campus. I originally planned on going to school in Philadelphia but their campus was lacking aesthetically.
Favorite tradition? I love our Homecoming weeks! They are lively and fun. Every department and school truly gets into the festivities and it’s great to see that all across our campus.
Favorite campus hangout? Now that they have opened the New Hill Student Center, that is definitely the place to be! It’s a gorgeous space and it has the best eateries on campus (minus Einstein’s).
What do you miss when you’re away? I miss the the city! UAB is in the middle of the city and there is always some event or something to do. When I go home, I miss living the city life.
