Seniors! Seniors! The lively class of 2016 chants to mark the beginning of yet another assembly. I buckle down in my seat ready to listen to announcement after announcement. Two students walk up to the post and begin talking about this week’s sports events usually ending with an “It would be awesome if some people could show up to the game and support us, the theme is USA.”

     When asked about all of the different ways students show their school spirit, Kareem Elbakkal ‘18 replied, “One of the main ways people show their spirit is by showing up to different events and games.” With new inventions like the Defend The Den app, even minimal participation is recognized. While some juggle extracurriculars, practices, and homework, it seems that vying to be the loudest and proudest fans at sports games is the new way to excel.

      This surge of spirit is only manifesting in some, leaving others feeling overwhelmed. “I enjoy school spirit, but only if the people are just being themselves, not if they’re aggressively school spirit,” says Sydney Ethen ‘18.

     “One thing I don’t enjoy about school spirit is people saying you don’t have any because you don’t do it a certain way,” Ethen continues.  At times it can seem like not enjoying the assertive, “in-your-face” forms of school spirit can make it seem like you don’t care, but is all of this really necessary? Does being spirited mean being the most garishly dressed, the loudest, or the best-attended?

     When asked if school spirit really required a large amount of work Jake Lundberg ‘19 said, “I don’t think it requires much work because you can go all out or you can just not participate that much.”

     We all have our own ways of showing pride in our school’s accomplishments, and though not every day calls for the famed llama cheer, we can still bask in our glory with the little things. As Elbakkal says, “Just being pumped to be at school everyday and just showing that you’re excited to be here is a great way to show school spirit.”