Being A Wildcat

By: Dara Bitler 

I’m a Wildcat. It’s something I don’t have to think about, I just know it. My blood is purple, my passion, endless.

Those that know me could never imagine that I grew up as anything other than a Wildcat. I spent the majority of my younger years in a community in Missouri where being anything other than a Tiger fan would make you an outcast. While that still rings true for the majority of my family, I’m now considered the outcast.

It all started during my junior year of high school. I moved to Kansas but never really knew much about Kansas schools. I went on a visit to K-State and from that day forward, I became a Wildcat.

Attending K-State was the best experience of my life. There’s no feeling more powerful than walking into a packed parking lot, filled with your entire K-State family at the Bill on a Saturday afternoon. Hearing Crazytrain blasting through the speakers gives me chills. There’s so much tradition, from the clanking of keys at the start of a game to singing the Alma Mater song at the end of the game. I think I only knew “Hail, Hail, Hail, Alma Mater” for the first 4 years I sang it. There was always a chance I stood behind someone wearing the shirt with the words on the back of it and then, of course, I belted out the entire song. The Sandstorm in Bramlage during a close game is an experience that is hard to top. Just imagine a roaring crowd of thousands of students, jumping up and down, screaming “KSU, KSU, KSU” as they pound their fists in the air. It’s awesome!

On the days I’m not working, my choice of clothing isn’t decided like most girls, I have to choose which K-State T-Shirt I will wear. On game days that I’m not attending, you will find me head-to-toe in K-State gear. My personal favorite is my K-State snuggie. I was once on a K-State commercial doing the Wabash in my snuggie in the front row of a K-State men’s basketball game.

If you see a girl frantically waving at you while you’re driving down the road, it’s probably because I saw a powercat on your car or a K-State license plate. It’s amazing how many people you can meet anywhere in the United States that are K-State fans!

Being a fan is a way of life. The entire K-State nation is my family. Therefore, I will cheer when they cheer. I will grieve when they grieve. I will hope when they’re hopeful (even when they’re not, I’ll still hope). Win or lose, I’m a Wildcat.

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Kansas State University. I love my school and I love the Wildcat way of life.

It’s almost football time! BRING ON THE CATS!

Be sure to check out my weekly column, The Wabash Line on The Salute.