The only people who know this answer are the ones who have ever called a little town named Pullman home. Being a Coug means being part of a tradition since 1890. Being a Coug means walking through a parking lot on a Cougar football game day and being offered three hotdogs and a beer on your a way through. Being a Coug means as soon as you hit “accept" on your admission to WSU, you automatically recycle anything purple and gold in your closet.
Being a Coug means win or loose at an athletic event, you still chant the Fight Song down the street. Being a Coug means you understand the struggle in living in a small town, but still make your way back from time to time. Being a Coug means that you know Pullman is either P-Town or the promise land. Being a Coug means being apart of a family the spreads all over the world.
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Being a Coug is something that no one can ever change or take away from you. My dream school all throughout high school was University of Southern California, also known as USC. I was so upset when I didn't get into that school. My next letter was my letter from WSU, and I found out that I was accepted.
I knew that WSU was am amazing school, but I needed to check it out before I confirm. As soon as I got off of the plane in Pullman, I was like “Umm no. This is not going to happen." All you see is wheat fields for days. You have to admit that it is a big change from southern California where I practically live on the beach.
Yet as soon as I drove onto the campus, I got the chills. I realized how beautiful the campus was with all the brick buildings and all historic places around town. At that moment, I knew this is where I belonged. I cannot see myself at any other university. Three years ago, I couldn't wait until my four years were up, but now I am applying to grad school here because I just don't want to leave yet. Almost everyone I know that has graduated from WSU realized about two months until graduation that the hardest thing they were going to have to do was to leave Pullman. But you suddenly realized that you may leave Pullman and WSU, but Pullman and WSU never leaves you. It becomes a part of you that you will carry forever. I have broken down the meaning of COUG if you haven't got the idea yet.
C: Stands for the Cougar Community. We have such a strong community of Cougars across the world and they are easily spotted with sometime type of Cougar gear. It's Cougs over anything. You are either routing for the Cougs to win or any one playing the Huskies.
O: Stands for outstanding fans. Even if we aren't number one in everything, we have such a strong fan base that never gives up on the Cougs. At every athletic event across the country, there are those die-hard Cougar fans that follow to every game.
U: Stands for unconditional amount of love we have for WSU once we became a Coug. No matter where I end up in life, I will always bleed Crimson and can always call Pullman home.
G: Stands for generosity, because Cougs help Cougs out when ever they need a hand. WSU is one of the safest campuses in the state of Washington, and is THE safest in the PAC-12. I have never felt in danger in Pullman or on campus and if I was, I would look to the closet person and I will know that they have my back.
Like I said before, you wouldn't understand what it means to be a Coug unless you have had the opportunity to become one. To wrap it all up, being a Coug means that you know that we don't have hello or goodbyes, we have GO COUGS.
