Alma Mater Song Lyrics Competition

PSU pep band performing

Alma Mater Song Lyrics Competition

We want your vote for PSU’s new School Song or Alma Mater Song! The PSU School Song Selection Committee received 25 submissions from PSU students, staff, alumni, and faculty, and will consider your top selections in this poll as they choose a finalist.

Please vote for up to two by April 1st! Authors will be credited once a finalist is selected.

Vote for up to two choices about this content

Title: "Let Knowledge Serve"

Verse
Where floods once surged, now verdant wisdom thrives,
Willamette’s heartbeats bellow full of life,
In Portland’s soul we root our legacy,
Arising roses bloom our tapestry!

Chorus
Let knowledge rain from peak to ocean’s reach,
Let knowledge hail the truths we strive to teach,
Let knowledge gust the northwest winds anew,
Let knowledge serve beloved P-S-U!

Verse
For one another: land, sky, far and wide,
We bridge truth’s beacons, sun-kissed side-by-side,
Learning’s fierce flame burns bright, our song made clear:
Oh, Portland State, our alma mater dear!

Chorus Repeats

Title: "The Light of PSU"

Verse
In the heart of the Northwest, where Portland lights shine,
Stands Portland State, proud, and learning intertwines.
A chorus of voices, a fine harmonious song.
Beyond the halls of PSU, our voices prolong.

Chorus
Let knowledge serve the city, let the light be bright.
Shining pathways forward, dispelling darkest night.
Let knowledge serve the world, presenting what is true.
A force for global change, we’re the light of PSU.

Verse
Advancing progress in every lesson learned,
At Portland State, the flame of knowledge is forever burned.
Portland State, a beacon, where dreams find harmony.
Joins in wisdom’s dance, a virtual symphony.

Chorus Repeats

Title: "Green may we ever be!"

Verse
Oh Portland State, our Alma Mater,
Where the forest meets the running waters,
On the homelands of the Chinook tribes,
Where knowledge, art, and research thrive.

Chorus
Oh Portland, with our hearts we lead!
Oh Portland, dream a world we need!
Oh Vikings prevail, when our love guides our deeds!
Oh Portland, green, may we ever be!

Verse
Where the bridges cross and the old elms tower,
Where the crows amass at the sunset hour,
And progress lies beyond each bend,
We see no strangers, only friends.

Chorus Repeat

As Yet Untitled

Verse
There is a school that we hold dear
The floods of change that brought us here
Our bridges open, embrace every dreamer
A vow to serve, we forge new leaders

Chorus
In the heart in the city, our roses shine bright
In the heart in the city, go green and white
In the heart in the city, with Vikings might
In the heart in the city, Alma mater in sight

Verse
Through seasons turn, come rain or shine
Through roads and tracks, ‘midst leaves and pine
With knowledge’s flame, to guide our way
Portland State! In hearts you’ll stay

Chorus Repeats

Contest entry details:

Eligibility
This competition is open to PSU Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff.

Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be:

  • A short poem with 8 lines of verse and 4 lines of chorus.
  • Metrical, rhyming, and simple to sing in under one minute.

Competition Prize
$500 for the winning submission, with credit given in all printings of the lyrics. A lunch with President Cudd for all submitters.

Selection Details and Timeline

  • A committee will select the winning submission in early April, with campus input requested in mid-March.
  • The winning poem will be set to music composed by a PSU faculty member in the School of Music & Theater.

Deadline for entries
March 1, 2024