When students were younger, showing your school pride was fun and had a lot of participation. Spirit Weeks used to be one of the anticipated events at school, but as students aged, their excitement and spirit slowly faded.
For example, when students were younger, they would make their parents go all out, by buying them the supplies to make their outfits for Spirit Week. Whether it be something to create a wacky hairstyle or a themed outfit, the students always made sure that they were properly dressed for the occasion. This is because not only was it enjoyable for them, but they didn’t want to be the only ones that didn’t show their school spirit. Now, students don’t even bother to tell their parents what’s going on in school.
What is the purpose behind school spirit?
Schools always want their students to be as united and engaged as possible. They want to build a community where everyone feels welcomed and safe.
To create this environment, they encourage students to wear the school colors, join extracurriculars, attend sports functions, and participate in fun activities like Spirit Week and pep rallies.
And while these seem like easy and fun tasks to complete, most students choose to not engage with them. This is for a variety of reasons ranging from simple laziness to complex insecurities that come from the students.
For example, some students feel as though it is embarrassing to participate in these activities because they fear getting made fun of for doing something that they enjoy.
On the other hand, students can simply be ashamed of their school because it is a place that they dread going to every day.
When asked about school spirit, sophomore Bryan Lopez said that he doesn’t have much school spirit, and when asked why he said, “I don’t feel like it is important, and I don’t have time for it. Like why would I waste time to show that I like my school?”
How does the lack of school pride affect students?
While it might not seem like a big deal to not have any school spirit, it truly does affect students. When people participate in these activities, it can give them something to look forward to and keep them engaged with their peers.
With the alarming rise in teen suicide, students need a way to be connected with people, and these activities can give students an outlet to express themselves and bond with people who have common interests. This is extremely helpful because it gives students a sense of belonging and makes them feel less lonely.
In addition to that, NASSP.org states “That sort of pride, experts say, leads to better behavior, better care for school facilities, and often better performance in school. If it is ignored and students have no connection or feel antipathy for their school, the opposite often occurs.”
How can we revive school spirit?
Though many students don’t have pride for their school, there is a good amount that does. These students can help create a more engaging environment.
For example, if popular students, such as football players and cheerleaders, participate in things like Spirit Week, it might make other students feel that it is okay to be engaged with their school.
When talking to Donny Vo, the Chairman of the school Spirit Committee, about the death of school spirit, he said “Of course, I don’t believe school spirit is dead!” He then talked about how student leaders can help ease up the social intensity that comes with showing your school pride. He later stated, “School spirit isn’t a thing, it is a mentality.”
