Lack of Enthusiasm Unfair to Campus Leaders

From rallys to dances to fundraisers, Leadership does a lot. Unfortunately, the lack of interest and participation by a majority of the student body can be demoralizing to those who spend so much extra time planning and hosting these events.

You know what I’m talking about: when spirit week themes are posted, no one but Leadership themselves can be seen putting in an ounce of effort in their outfit. With the exception of the occasional “PJ Day”, students just don’t bother with it.

Then there are the activities like basketball or musical chairs. Even with Leadership hosting these events in different locations on campus, few seem willing to muster any effort to join in. The only measurably successful lunchtime activity that I remember witnessing was when free hot chocolate was offered in French teacher Ed Willy’s classroom.

And the less said about spirit rallies, the better. Spirit commissioners may spend their Academies, 4th period, and after-school time for rehearsals, and still, many don’t show up.

Then there is Club Day and Mini Club Day. While Club Day is a rare example of spirit success in which students pour into the quad, I can’t help but attribute this once again to free food; many students only write their name down on a clipboard in exchange for a brownie rather than for any intention of actually joining the club.

During the Mini Club Day, the situation was much worse. No matter how many posters Leadership put up around campus, only a few curious stragglers found their way into the gym.

Ironically, students blame Leadership for not communicating opportunities to the student body, as if knowing beforehand would have increased their likelihood to attend a lunch activity or a dance. Apparently, these students have somehow missed the mass Schoolloop e-mails Leadership teacher Lindsay Webb-Peploe sends out to the entire school, along with the posters plastered in every hallway and word-of-mouth communication.

In reality, these students simply have no desire to show their school spirit, or have no school spirit to begin with. And I understand there can be real problems with attending these events if there are conflicting activities. But to pin the blame on Leadership when they do all that they conceivably can to inform students is unfair.

School spirit is important. It’s what turns a lackluster sporting event into a chanting, red t-shirt-wearing, loudly-clapping Red Sea. In fact, our sports games are the best example of what happens when students show their appreciation for their school. It motivates players to achieve even more and discourages our rivals. If only we put that same effort into other campus  activities, we would see a huge difference in school performance as well.

We need to show our school pride.  Attending this school is a huge privilege that should not be taken for granted. Some high schools don’t even offer a single AP course, while we enjoy choosing between dozens of courses highly qualified individuals.  Some school’s don’t have a single sports team with a winning record.  We can boast several teams that have won section and state championships.

Our peers put in a monumental amount of effort for no other reason than to provide us with opportunities. The least we could do is show our appreciation for them.

So the next time you see a sign for spirit week, maybe you could consider wearing that sports jersey in the back of your closet, and get your friends in on it too. After all, the main point of spirit activities is just for everyone to share in the privilege of attending one of the finest schools in the country.