This weekend USF defeated Auburn, and I’d like to think everyone can agree that a lot of school pride is involved with games of this stature.

I remember the parade of people rushing down my hallways screaming chants of victory. I remember young Bulls driving around at 2:30 a.m., leaning out windows and honking horns.

At games like these, students can wear gold and green with pride. The football team, in a sense, acted as a sort of ambassador to represent USF. They spoke for USF this weekend and had a lot of good things to say.

Unfortunately, the way many students treat the grounds of USF says a lot of bad things about school pride.

Look at the ground: It is often littered with promotions from local clubs. What kind of pride can students have if they can support the Bulls’ victory but can’t spend two seconds to find a garbage can?

It’s a shame, too, considering there’s so much on campus besides football to be proud of.

USF is growing quickly and aspires to join the Association of American Universities. It is comprised of 62 of the nation’s best public and private universities.

As of now, the only state school in the Association is the University of Florida.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching also recognized USF as one of the top three research universities, and the state Legislature recognized USF as one of the state’s top three research institutions.

These great honors mean that people are recognizing USF’s potential.

There is a correlation between litter on the ground and USF’s prestige, as there is a relationship between students’ attitudes and actions. Throwing litter on the ground speaks volumes of students’ pride – or lack thereof.

If you look at your surroundings on campus you will see the progress that characterizes USF. USF has succeeding sports programs, the money and funds to build new structures and recognition from educational foundations. Unfortunately, the litter strewn about the campus grounds tarnishes all of this.

The University is young and has so much potential for growth: The University of Florida was born in 1853. The University of South Florida traces its roots back to 1957.

Students act as if they disregard that potential by disregarding their environment.

USF students should value their environment because the University is on its way to being great.

Mitchell Rose is a junior

majoring in philosophy and

international studies.