School spirit runs through my blood. At seven years old, my mother parted my hair into pigtails with huge bows. I chose different colored socks, and left the house for a wacky Wednesday. Every spirit day since kindergarten, I have been an avid participant.
I have always gone “too hard” for spirit days. Early on, most kids were forced to dress up by their parents; but as we got older, the spirit went south. I, contrary to most, continued to put my heart into it.
Every spirit week, I embarrass myself as I walk through a hallway of normally dressed kids as Adam Sandler, or paint my face while others simply pass on spirit. A peak of my spirit career was my freshman year. The football team was deep into the playoffs, and spirit weeks rolled into one after the other. My classes were put on hold as we decorated doors and got ready for the big games approaching.
My classmates and I held a spirit competition of spirit, debating who commited to spirit day the most. This skyrocketed my effort; I sprayed my hair pink, and drew pawprints on my face in efforts to win,which I did, no matter what anyone else says. My spirit has emerged as a senior, since I no longer have embarrassment standing out in this school.
Although I was conditioned to be extra from a young age, my school spirit has come from many factors of my life. Cheerleading and student council took my enthusiasm to a new level, and gave me the opportunities to spread my passion with others.
Though it might seem crazy, a lot of my drive to stay spirited comes from cheerleading awards.
In youth cheerleading, you are pushed to do your best in efforts to win a “spirit stick” each week. The exclusivity of this stick pushed me past the limits. I would scream my heart out and create themes for my time to win a PVC pipe covered in ribbon; nothing was too embarrassing if it would win me the sweet spirit stick.
Once I made it to high school cheerleading, I was opened to the world of cheer camp. This summer camp is a yearly event where professional college cheerleaders visit high schools and teach as much as they can in two to three days.
At first, I was off-put when these grown men and women started dancing to “Africa” by TOTO at 8 in the morning; however, their smiles were contagious. By 9;30 on my first spirit camp, I could be found putting most of my efforts into goofy dances and cheers.
My spirit was exponentially growing as I discovered the awards that were given out at camp. Each day, an inflatable banana is given out to the most promising squad; this twelve-dollar trophy drives me to chaos. I forcefully encouraged my team to shout and fake positivity for eight hours.
Lacking control over my whole team, I focus on myself and strive for individual awards. I push myself to front and center with a beaming smile and perfect the chants they introduce. I became the best version of myself as I longed for recognition.
Validating my efforts, each of my four years led to my name being called on the last day as I was singled out for my spirit. My favorite is a bright yellow ribbon titled “Little Miss Sunshine.”
As if that was not enough. I joined the club as a sophomore, and now I have gotten a little too involved in our planned activities. If student council has a project, anyone who passes me in the hall will hear about it. I urged every student to buy raffle tickets for St. Patrick’s Day, and insisted that each student voted for prom royalty. My urgency in student participation derives from the effort I know others put into everything.
All spirit events require an immense amount of effort. I know this first-hand. I have spent days decorating the school, just for the posters to be ripped down days later, and planned events that less than a fifth of the school showed up to. These upsetting times are all drowned out by the smiles on people’s faces when they appreciate it.
Please notice the decor around the school and attend community events. You are only a high schooler once, and we should try to be the best group possible. Coming from me, spirit days can be fun! If we all participate, we will only have a greater sense of community.