by Jacqueline Riddle
School spirit is vital to every school. It gives the students a sense of belonging and pride, according to Kristina Barros, author of The Classroom. It is so much more than attending sports events; it’s joining clubs, participating in extracurricular activities, and taking part in spirit days. Showing your school pride and involvement can significantly enhance your high school experiences. Our student body always starts the year out strong with tons of support at the football games, but as the year progresses, there is less and less participation.
Even the simplest acts of school pride, such as wearing school colors or supporting school sponsored events, can bring out the pride in your peers. Many teachers have encouraged me and my peers to go to as many school events as we can. Not only does attending school events make me feel more connected, it is also a way to show my support for my school and my peers.
Most people you ask will claim that school spirit is important and essential, yet most schools still lack it. You can ask any coach or player and they will agree that school spirit improves the experience of the game, it shows that the student body cares and supports.
Coach Curtis Norwood, the head coach of our women’s varsity basketball team, states, “School spirit helps to create a feeling of community. Your experience is more than just a classroom and grades.” Coach Norwood believes that the school spirit brought to games affects the team in such a way that the team improves and is mentally encouraged to perform well.
Nicole Terry, a sophmore states, “When people support me at sports events it makes me feel good and also makes me want to work 10 times harder…” She believes that school spirit is a great way to bring people together and create a school-wide fun experience. As an athlete, I always enjoy seeing my classmates in the stands supporting the team, as it gives me a sense of identity and belonging on campus. Showing pride needs to become a school-side trend, our school is only as good as we make it.
Some students participate in spirit days while others refuse to show their school spirit. Why? Not all students agree with dressing out of the “norm” to follow spirit days. Students feel less encouraged to participate in spirit days because their peers are neglecting the school activity too. Most students don’t understand the point of dressing up on spirit days or even going to sports events. As the student body of Point Loma High School, our new mission is to be more involved in our school activities.