by Staff

When homecoming season comes around each year, critics of Sherwood’s school spirit propose various explanations for why “this year isn’t as spirited as last year” and what may cause some students to become more apathetic about their school climate. You are likely to see plenty of people attending football games and a few over-the-top Spirit Week fanatics, but we want to know: does true spirit still exist at Sherwood like it used to?

The week of homecoming certainly is the peak of school spirit, yet, ironically, it also reveals the aspects of this year’s Spirit Week that fail to live up to the Sherwood legacy. School spirit, as a tradition, only weakens from this point in the year onward, so if the bar isn’t set high enough now, it can make for a somewhat mediocre year.

Who is to blame for this fading school spirit? School spirit will always reflect back on the students themselves; they are the faces of the school and are responsible for representing it suitably. Some years it’s simply the lack of enthusiastic people that undermines school spirit. The attitudes of today’s youth are constantly changing, and perhaps being as spirited isn’t “in style” right now.

One must not overlook the school itself for limiting Sherwood’s potential for school spirit. Prohibiting students from painting their chests at football games is just one example of how administration is keeping spirit from reaching its full potential. A sense of over-concern, even paranoia, seems to guide Sherwood’s rules about permissible behavior at athletic events. Let teens be teens at the appropriate time and place. Crazily enthusiastic fans should be celebrated, not forbidden. For example, Quince Orchard fans arrived in the hundreds for their away game against Sherwood back on August 31. This large, established group of fans call themselves “The Red Army” because they go to every game, both home and away, wear their red school color and bring their signature cheers and chants.

Since the school alters the instructional schedule to incorporate a pep rally, it should take the next step of finding new ways to build momentum during the event and avoid using the same material as years past. Revitalize school spirit by not giving students what they expect. Get a Warrior mascot to run around during football games, shoot t-shirt guns and treat the most spirited students with free or discounted tickets to future games. These are the little touches that make homecoming week memorable and appealing to students who don’t normally participate.