Wright State campus after first snowfall of the season | Photograph by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University (WSU) students quickly become familiar with the phrase “Wright State, Wrong School” after stepping foot on campus. However, alumni and students argue that this school has more to offer and reflect on what “school pride” means to them.
Becoming a new person
Without Wright State, Charline Phung says she would not have become the person that she is today.
“I feel like I definitely got to know myself more and meet other people… from the beginning of my freshman year to now I definitely have opened myself up,” Phung said.
One reason for this is the people that Phung, a recent graduate, met during her time at WSU. Phung credits ASA, the Asain Student Association, for introducing her to new people and pushing her out of her introverted comfort zone.
One piece of advice Phung would give new students to make the most out of their time at WSU is to get involved.
“I would encourage them to go out of their comfort zone and meet other people and join clubs. I was definitely a shy person and I couldn’t really imagine myself now, four years ago, if it weren’t for meeting these new people,” Phung said.
Brooke Leppla, Associate Director of Alumni and Donor Marketing and Communication, matched Phung’s sentiment, saying the best part of her experience at WSU was getting involved with Greek life. Leppla says one of her favorite memories during her time as a student was the day she got a bid for her sorority.
“The feeling of jumping off stage into the arms of my new sisters who were so excited to have me was amazing. The countless memories to follow and even still being close with a lot of them today will always make me forever grateful I joined,” Leppla said.
While Wright State is a small school compared to other Ohio colleges, it is a school rooted in community that allows students to find a sense of belonging and reach out of their comfort zone.
Endless opportunities
Senior fine art major, Solane Bass, praises WSU for the creativity it fosters in its students. Bass started her journey at Wright State double majoring in fine arts and computer science. Wanting to focus more on her artistic side and graduate within four years, she decided to change her double major to minoring in computer science instead.
Bass acknowledges that she might not have been able to combine her two passions and bolster her creative ability at another school.
“There are a lot of colleges; there is a wide variety of education you can get here,” Bass said.
Bass takes pride in being a Raider because of the opportunities and education in two different fields she has received during her time at WSU.
“School Pride, to me, is graduating and going ‘Oh, I was able to do this because of Wright State’ or ‘I learned this at Wright State,’” Bass said.
In agreement with Bass, Leppla commends WSU for the possibilities it gives its students and the way that it prepares them to take what they know and make a difference.
“The innovative majors and impact that you can directly see WSU graduates make in the Dayton community and beyond is amazing. So many Raiders doing so many amazing things for Dayton and Ohio,” Leppla said.
Once a Raider, always a Raider
Leppla has been a part of the WSU community since her freshman year in 2001. After graduating, she accepted a job with the university and has been involved with Wright State ever since. She loves the community and the fact that WSU is big enough to give students the college experience but small enough to not be overwhelming.
Leppla knows that school pride means something different to everyone, but for her, it means showing up for Wright State and sharing with others why she loves being a Raider.
“I cannot tell you how many times I've had to cringe at the stupid ‘Wright State, Wrong School’ joke. Raiders do have to fight more for ‘university street cred’ in comparison to other universities in our area for whatever reason, but dang it the amazing friends I graduated with doing awesome things in their careers, the bright and motivated students I had the pleasure of advising on campus in various capacities, the state of the art facilities to learn in, the active alumni base [and] the direct impact that our students and graduates have had on Dayton specifically leaves me with nothing but overwhelming school pride,” Leppla said.
Bass takes pride in where she comes from and loves being a part of the Raider family.
“Whether you’re a new student, or you’ve been here a while, or you are recently graduated, or you graduated 50 years ago… we’re all still Raiders. We’re all still here,” Bass said.
