It’s been the athletic slogan all year. “Soar Once More” has been on the posters, it’s on websites, it’s in Trask Coliseum in huge letters and it’s in at least one visible place on your walk to and from class each day. The three words have manifested themselves all over campus, but what do they really mean?

“Soar” is the easiest to define. According to Dictionary.com, it means: “to rise or aspire to a higher or more exalted level.” The “once more” part is more difficult to assign a finite meaning. Once more, as a phrase, means again. Examined individually, the slogan means to “rise to an exalted level one additional time.”

The slogan was created by the Seahawk Sports Marketing Office, according to athletic director Jimmy Bass, and pertains to the entire Department of Athletics. This was news to Matt Clark, head coach of the UNCW men’s golf team though. “I wasn’t aware that the ‘Soar Once More’ slogan was for anything other than basketball,” said Clark. “We’ve played in the past two NCAA championships, and I want to say we’ve already been soaring.”

Dave Allen, head coach of the UNCW swimming teams, reacted similarly. “I don’t think there’s any question that the swimming programs have been soaring in recent years,” Allen said, “baseball, golf, track and field, and tennis have all done very well in recent years.”

Despite their successes, those programs still don’t seem to be getting the same amount of attention as the Seahawk basketball programs. “The basketball programs are the engine that drives our athletic program forward,” said Allen. “The successes of the basketball teams help the entire program to improve and succeed.”

Neither Allen nor Clark mind the slogan. “Since the beginning of the UNCW athletics department we’ve all been trying to soar. Every team wants to be competitive and win, so the slogan is appropriate,” said Allen.

Clark added: “The slogan is not derogatory in any way, I don’t think. I’m sure it is geared more towards the fans and the excitement felt by people in Wilmington rather than the success of the athletic teams.”

From 2000 to 2003, the UNCW men’s basketball team played in four consecutive CAA Championships. The excitement around basketball season was palpable, according to Clark. “I wasn’t here during that streak, but that’s the goal of the department,” said Clark. “We want to get to where all of Wilmington is buzzing for the start of the different athletic seasons.”

The goal of the slogan this year was to return to that sort of excitement and community involvement. “Our external staff believed this theme was appropriate, because of the new energy that surrounds Seahawk athletics that is emanating from the greater Wilmington community,” said Bass.

 With that in mind, it seems the “once more” is intended to be phrased together. It is supposed to be a plea to the Wilmington community and UNCW students to return to the level of excitement that was once there, but hasn’t been in recent years. So, UNCW students, the athletic department slogan is geared towards you. Won’t you help us “Soar Once More”?