Art history major finds her place in the classroom and on the ice at BGSU

Jamie Cox, the president of the Spirit Skaters, paired a unique club sports experience with her degree program at BGSU

As Jamie Cox meandered through the Bowen-Thompson Quadrangle, one table really grabbed her attention.

Like many Bowling Green State University freshmen, she was looking for a way to get involved at Campus Fest, a giant showcase for the many clubs, organizations and activities on campus for students to supplement their academics at BGSU.

Cox came across a team that she didn’t know existed, the Spirit Skaters, who blend figure skating and cheerleading in a uniquely Bowling Green setting. When the Falcons’ Division I hockey team plays its home games at Slater Family Ice Arena, the Spirit Skaters perform before puck drop to energize the home crowd.

For Cox, that sounded like a perfect way to connect with BGSU.

“I was at Campus Fest when I saw a table that had skates and pom poms, and I was like, ‘I get to get dressed up every weekend and go skate with these other girls?’” she said. “I knew BGSU was a big hockey school, so I said it might be fun to do that every weekend. I tried out, made the team and got more involved every year I did it.”

Four years later, Cox is the organization’s president. By blending academics with a club sport of her choice, Cox earned well-rounded experience during her time at BGSU.

A native of Columbus whose parents both graduated from BGSU, Cox was familiar with the University, but it wasn’t until a campus visit that she saw everything she wanted from her college experience.

As an art history major and fashion merchandising minor, she saw the chance to learn with and from world-renowned faculty on a campus that was just the right size. And when she discovered Spirit Skaters, she saw an opening to revive the figure skating skills she developed in elementary school and to make lasting social connections while at BGSU.

“I was very, very shy when I was a freshman, but that gave me something to do every weekend that we had men’s hockey games,” she said. “It got me outside my dorm, and I made friends on the team, which led to me working at the Ice Arena and making friends with my coworkers. It was really my place to meet people.”

As an art history student, Cox also had the chance to study with some of the top scholars in the field.

Working with faculty like art history professor Allie Terry-Fritsch, Ph.D., Cox learned from a widely regarded expert, both on campus and through a study abroad course.

“One of my professors, Dr. Terry-Fritsch, is a very renowned scholar for the Italian Renaissance, so it was such an awesome experience that I was able to go on a study abroad trip for a seminar she taught in Florence, Italy,” she said. “I got to meet so many professionals in the field and network, which was an opportunity that was so important for me.”

As she prepares to graduate later this year, Cox said she did just what she hoped as a BGSU student.

BGSU sponsors 17 men’s and women’s club sports teams and another two dozen co-ed club sports teams, making them one of the most popular activities on campus.

For many students like Cox who are looking for an athletic endeavor to pair with their degree program, there is no better fit.

“School has always been very important to me, but Spirit Skaters became a big part of my life outside of that,” she said. “I go to practice in the morning, then I go to class, then I’m doing work for my internship. Everything really co-existed for me to round out my time here, which is exactly what I wanted.”