Whitney Veazey

Former and LaGrange students sport their UNA colors.

As the Fall 2024 semester begins for universities all across the country, students and faculty are sporting their school’s colors and showing off their school spirit, proud of the university they represent. At the University of North Alabama, the school’s signature colors, purple and gold, are seen throughout many students’ attire; especially on Aug. 30, celebrated as College Colors Day. 

“College Colors Day seeks to celebrate and promote the traditions and spirit that make the university experience great,” said Governor Kay Ivey in the 2024 College Colors Day Proclamation. 

College Colors Day first started back in 2005 and has spread around the nation over the years, becoming a renowned day of collegiate pride.

“Each year thousands of organizations and millions of individuals participate by donning the colors of their favorite college or university throughout the day,” said The Higher Education Partnership.  

College Colors Day celebrates the differences that higher education and universities have made to the citizens of Alabama. 

“We celebrate universities because of the difference they make for every Alabamian,” said Gordon Stone, the executive director for the Higher Education Partnership.

Stone expressed his gratitude to Governor Ivey on the steps of the Alabama Capitol building, next to the mascots of the 14 public universities in Alabama, including UNA’s very own Leo and Una. 

MacKenzie Mwaura, a freshman at the university this year, says that she found out about College Colors Day from seeing it “over social media and people [who] have just kind of been saying it over the past few days.”

Students at UNA participated in College Colors Day by wearing the university’s logo and mascot on their shirts, sweats, and hats. Josie Delk, a student at UNA, says that she believes College Colors Day helps to invoke more school spirit and that “it’s always a good thing to rep[resent] your school.” Mwaura agrees and thinks this day helps to get students thinking about “what it means to represent our college.” 

Nothing represents a university more than the students and faculty. Anna Carpenter, another student at UNA, said that she thinks the way professors care for their students has made a great difference to her and her college education. 

Mwaura also mentioned how the professors have made a difference to her, mentioning how her peers have as well. 

“I definitely feel just so empowered here already,” said Mwura. “I feel like all the new students I’ve met and just all the professors have just been so encouraging.” 

She feels that her confidence in her academics has been boosted. 

Ellie, a freshman like Mwaura, said that she feels encouraged and united with her peers despite their differences, much like she did during school spirit days at her old school. 

When asked about the difference UNA has made for her thus far as a freshman, she said “I’ve already [made] lots of really good friends and just had a really great time.” 

Delk, like Ellie and Mwaura, feels that the community at UNA has made a difference to her. She said, “Everybody here is just so nice,” and that her random peers will just “speak to you and ask you how you’re doing.”

Higher education can make such a difference in someone’s life, leading them to become more confident and meet all sorts of people who can help them grow, and College Colors Day helps unite the communities throughout Alabama universities in showing their school spirit. 

College Colors Day allows students to express how thankful they are for the opportunities and life-long memories that the university has provided for them.