In April, WSU’s Cougar Cruiser departed Pullman and began its statewide road trip. On Aug. 2 the cruiser finally reached Vancouver. The arrival was just in time to set up shop at the ROAR transfer orientation to pass out t-shirts, stickers, game tickets and more.
Chipman and Taylor Chevrolet in Pullman, WA have provided a vehicle since the project’s birth in 2012. This year they provided a 2017 Chevy Equinox. WSU’s Cougar Athletic Fund keeps the tank full of gas and the trunk full of university gear.
For the last four months, Cougar Cruiser co-pilots Maddie Sjolund and Annabelle Hutson have traveled to events and locations all over Washington state. On their journey, they have also engaged with students, alumni and fans on social media.
“We basically make our plans for what we’re going to do based off of who reaches out to us. We’ve been deciding kind of last minute,” Hutson said. “We have a lot of people comment things like ‘Where are you? Don’t go there, come to Seattle.’”
This Cougar athletic promotion endeavor also serves as a marketing internship opportunity for Sjolund and Hutson who are entering their junior and senior years. Sjolund is a strategic communication major specializing in public relations. Hutson is double majoring in strategic communication and communication and society.
“Our job is to promote WSU sporting events. We have current football posters with all the dates,” said Sjolund, “but we’re also promoting the Cougar Cruiser, itself, and trying to get more social media followers.”
Cougar Cruiser’s Facebook community has seen more growth than any other social platform since April. More than two thousand people have liked and followed the page as of late July and the numbers continue to climb. As the Cougar Cruiser’s online following grows, so does its ability to draw out fans from every crevice of Washington state, which has included hotel swimming pools and stadiums.
“We were asked to go to a fruit stand in Yakima where they sell peaches,” said Hutson. “So many people were coming out of work to be there, a lot of them in their Coug shirts.”
“My favorite place so far is definitely Coug Day at the Mariners,” Sjolund said. “We got attacked by people, completely mobbed. Within thirty minutes we ran out of gear.”
“It’s been crazy everywhere,” Hutson said when asked to pick a favorite location. “The size of the event doesn’t really matter to us because, regardless, people are going to be excited. That’s the best part.”
Sjolund and Hutson seem to agree on quite a bit. They both expressed eagerness to start fall semester and return to a more structured schedule.
“It’s been fun, but as much of control freaks as we are having a job that’s so flexible has been a challenge,” Hutson explained. “We never know what’s next. We’ve just kind of been going with the flow.”
The team explained that the cruiser’s trek is soon coming to an end.
“We have a few more locations and then we’re back at Pullman to drive in the annual National Lentil Festival parade,” Hutson said.
Swarmed by VanCougs eager to meet the co-pilots and grab some gear, the Cougar Cruiser drew more than just orientation attendees; summer class students, campus staff and even alumni stopped by.
The spirit of the campus was in full attendance, carried by a diverse summer crowd only a commuter campus could facilitate. Sjolund and Hutson have yet another favorite to consider. Their recommendations, along with social media insights, will help their successors decide whether the cruiser will return to Vancouver campus next year.
Followers can watch the Cougar Cruiser journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For Cougs who missed the Cougar Cruiser visit, Cougar gear is always available for purchase at the WSU Vancouver Bookie.