THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY that any Gee-Gees student-athlete needs, besides being in tip-top athletic shape and having near-perfect technique, is a passion that consumes. And that’s exactly what a Gee-Gees fan has.
Third-year political science student Mathew Mcveigh said he tried out for the men’s soccer team this August. But his name, along with many others, was on the list of cuts.
“As much as I completed a 12-km run, suicides, and drills, I found that I was missing one thing that some of the other guys had—an extreme amount of passion,” he said.
The reason fans cheer for their team is more than just to see them win, it’s to be able to share the passion of the athletes and share in their victory. There’s that feeling of having been included in a unique experience—of looking at friends, family, and the student-athletes representing the school with a quenched sense of belonging.
Being passionate about the Gee-Gees is more than just going to a game. It can mean grabbing a brew with a friend at the Draft, 1848, or even La Maison, and gabbing about the Ravens—especially at the Panda Bowl. How many other universities have events with their own mascots that run for president and skydive?
Being a Gee-Gee also means having a reason to succeed. For the student-athletes, it’s a way of life: healthy eating, workout routines, and alcohol-free weekends. For fans, it’s also a way of life. Athletes seek to achieve more than they thought they could for the same reason that fans want to be Gee-Gees: success is a reason to be proud.
“What’s a proud Gee-Gee?
A person who takes inspiration from knowing they are part of a community, and can share in the community’s victories and losses to become something more,” said Daniel Stojanovic, a fourth-year health sciences student.
The community includes more than just fans and student-athletes; it also includes Sports Services, their staff, coaches, families, and it even includes Pedro the Panda.
There’s also the idea of tradition. Stojanovic touched on a tradition that maintains importance to this day. What is a Gee-Gee?
“One who has beaten Carleton,” he said.
