Sporting the colors. By Scott Koskoski, ‘00 Was I in the right place at the right time or is “Hurst Nation” really growing by leaps and bounds?
’ my ofce is two time zones away from home, and as a professional nonproft administrator and consultant, it s safe to say that i spend a lot of time on trains, planes and automobiles. Throughout my travels over the summer of 2013, i saw mercyhurst pride in a few places i d never expect to: a bumper sticker on a car at a knoxville, Tenn., walmart. a group of three students wearing hurst t-shirts on a garden city, s.c., beach. and on a dufel bag in the denver airport (it looked lonely at baggage claim; i hope it found its rightful owner!). ’ ‘ ’ none of that is exactly earth-shattering news, i know, and it s the kind of thing many other (larger) universities take for granted, especially those with 80,000-seat football stadiums or iconic brands.
Scott Koskoski with kids Olivia, Ben and Jack in their Mercyhurst gear.
but my sightings, i hope, are a sign of much more spreading of hurst pride to come. as recently as last decade when i graduated
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“ and moved around the country often as a young professional, the typical question i received when wearing mercyhurst apparel was either what s mercyhurst?” or mercy where?” and here i thought our cameo appearance - despite the unfortunate creative decision to dress mercyhurst in the colors of dreaded crosstown rival gannon university - in Tom hanks hit That Thing You Do introduced us to the world back in 1997. ’ “ - ’ mercyhurst is a known entity now, though - and the best is yet to come. Thanks to exploding successful academic programs with national and international presence, nationally ranked athletic teams boasting conference and national championships, and, of course, the change to university status, outsiders and perfect strangers are coming to know the blue & green and the lakers who wear it. ’ This is really our time - so i guess i shouldn t be so surprised to see the mercyhurst brand pop up in places (and parking lots) i d never guessed. in the evolution of every university of distinction you can name, there is that moment, or series of moments, where the true emergence happens. Theres a reason the waiter at my table in dallas last night knew that mercyhurst was that good hockey school up in pennsylvania or that the government contractor i met at a networking conference heard me mention mercyhurst and exclaim to others in the room, it s the best intelligence program in the country, if not the world. ’ ’ “ ” “ ’ ”
This grassroots marketing is up to us to continue, though!
’ check out the bookstores website and pick up a bumper sticker; dust of a t-shirt (it can be the wrong shades of color, and even say college), and download (for free!) the seasonal mercyhurst screensavers inspired by your alumni board of directors. if each of us - every alumnus out there - could do our one thing to show pride in our alma mater, imagine the collective marketing impact - which, of course, will have tangible and direct benefts on admissions, giving and more. “ ”
’ p.s. i didn t see any gannon colors on that south carolina beach this summer - therefore, it was a great vacation!
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