Am I an Eagle or an Aggie, or both?
At Utah State University Eastern, students often ask a question that ties into our sports and academics: Am I an Eagle or am I an Aggie, perhaps both?
The answer is woven deep into the school’s history. Founded in 1937 as Carbon College, the school then became the College of Eastern Utah in 1965. In 2010, it merged with Utah State University and was known as Utah State University’s College of Eastern Utah. That name was a bit of a mouthful, so by 2013, the campus officially adopted its current name, Utah State University Eastern.
That change connected the students in Price to the larger Utah State system, all while keeping the traditions that make USU Eastern unique. Students and alumni across the state are known as Aggies. This is tied to the Logan campus and its link to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). However, in Price, teams still compete as the Eagles in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), as it carries forward a mascot and spirit that traces back to the beginning of the college.
The community at Eastern is deeply rooted in its Eagle history, which remains firmly in place today.
As an ambassador for USU Eastern, I’ve learned to explain it this way to new and prospective students: “We are Aggies in the classroom and Eagles on the court.” When students come to USU Eastern gets the best of both worlds. There is a combination of a smaller, more personal campus with its own identity and community, and the strength of being a part of the Aggie nation.
The two-part identity is actually something our campus leaders have embraced for some time. In a 2016 piece from the archives of the USU Eastern Eagle newspaper, the former chancellor Joe Peterson already urged students not to choose between the two identities. “For our health as an institution, we must nurture and maintain our strong traditions. We must proudly identify ourselves as Eagles and allow this tradition to deepen and grow. However, at the same time, we must more fully join the proud ‘Aggie Nation’ and more fully enjoy our identity as Aggies and the benefits that come from being part of this great University. We should avoid the false dilemma, the ill-founded ‘either-or’ that would force us to be either Eagles or Aggies, but not both. We must identify with the College as ‘our College,’ and with the University as ‘our University.’ We must be Eagles. At the same time, we must be Aggies.”
That balance shows up in traditions as well. At Utah State in Logan, you become a “True Aggie” by kissing over the Block A on Old Main. Here in Price, you become a “True Eagle” by kissing over our tradition-filled rock, Gibby. Whether you share a kiss over Gibby or the A, all Eagles and Aggies alike share a place in the same community.
Even the mascots show respect for both entities. Emmet the Eagle energizes our fans in Price, while Big Blue is rallying the crowds in Logan. While we have our physical differences, both point to the same mission. Students have equal access to education and opportunity, no matter where in the USU system they may be located.
In the end, both Eagles and Aggies are rooted in pride, tradition, and belonging. For us, the answer to the question is simple. We are both.
