JM’s Ferguson: ‘Am I a Traitor for Picking Pitt as a West Virginian? Maybe.’

Sweeeettt Carolineeee …

If you’re a WVU fan, you know what comes next. As someone who has grown up in West Virginia, I’ve only heard one version of that song, yet somehow, I ended up enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh.

And those folks sing it completely differently.

Growing up, my family has always owned everything relating to WVU. Different types of cups, flags, T-shirts, etc.; they’ve had it all. We watched the games on Saturdays and even went to a few – including the infamous backyard brawl where Pitt faces WVU. From a wide-eyed little girl wearing a Mountaineer cheer outfit to a scared eighteen-year-old about to embark on her next journey, I thought it would be easy to choose where to attend college.

I was wrong.

Most people have been in my shoes before – applying to colleges, finishing out their senior year, being asked the big question, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life.” Although daunting, I’ve chosen to answer with enthusiasm and excitement rather than nervousness and fear. WVU was, obviously, the first school I applied to because of its more affordable tuition, I would be surrounded by everyone I’ve grown up with, and it was what was expected of me.

However, my dad pushed me to apply for schools outside of my comfort zone in Pennsylvania as I would get in-state tuition because he lived in Pittsburgh. I submitted applications but thought nothing of it because my heart was still at West Virginia University. That was until I went on a tour of Pitt’s campus.

I immediately fell in love and saw myself walking the streets of Oakland surrounded by like-minded individuals who have a passion for learning. We ate in the dining hall, toured the dorms, went inside the beautiful Cathedral of Learning, and at every location I could picture myself there.

And it just felt right.

Am I a traitor for picking Pitt as a West Virginian? Maybe. Do I care? Not at all.

I didn’t have that same feeling at WVU, so, although it was a difficult decision, I knew the path I wanted to go down.

I never understood the rivalry between the two schools, and maybe I will when I’m physically in college. For now, I will laugh off every snide remark from my peers about being a “traitor,” or how I wear the wrong blue and gold, because I know I will thrive wherever I go.

I truly do look forward to my next journey and to taking advantage of all the resources Pitt has to offer. Though I plan to attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall, I will always secretly have the blood of a Mountaineer and will sing the CORRECT version of “Sweet Caroline”.

Take that as you will.