Where Did the School Spirit Go?

By Chase Bougeon

 School spirit…it makes us do stupid, inane things for laughs. It makes the day more bearable and enjoyable. Math class is almost twice as exciting when everyone is dressed up in their 80s attire, even though you are still learning why the unit circle has a circumference of 2 rather than
Why is school spirit important? If you are someone who isn’t too interested in school, then it doesn’t actually matter too much. Not caring isn’t a bad thing, we live in America and so we have the freedom to choose to care or not. Isn’t existentialism great?
For others, school spirit is important because it lets them express themselves in a fun and creative manner. It makes school life more exciting and gives you chances to do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do (water polo boys wearing Speedos in the halls). Spirit can also help make a stronger student body because it unites a group of people toward one common goal. This goal could be rooting the loudest at a basketball game or having a class all wear their class colors. School spirit can also help the community by making fund raising efforts such as Toy Drives and Penny’s for Patients more successful.
This year however, there seemed to be a general lack of school spirit. It was noticeable during the spirit weeks and school rallies. Did students just stop caring?
In an interview with Senior Alex Richardson, a member of ASB, the Bay Eagle asked for his inside view of the problem. He felt that the problem was, “The student didn’t feel like they did not have has much authority this year and didn’t feel like their voices were heard.”
Well, where did this authority go then? Did someone become more powerful? What killed the spirit? “There was a lot more censorship this year from Ms. Kwek and ASB, and Ms. Harada’s so-called ‘Regime.’”
The school means well, any extra scrutiny over spirit days must have had a rational reason behind it. The censorship helped, right? “Not entirely.  Most students seemed to not be in favor of the extra censorship and the lack of fun. For  example, most of ASB was in favor of certain spirit days with no negative connotations, such as stoplight day, purple shirt Tuesday, and generation day, all of which were banned by the administration with the only reason that they might ‘receive a phone call’ from a parent.”
As member of ASB, can you take up the issue of censorship with the administration? “Yes, as a member of ASB, I have the opportunity to speak in meetings on a daily basis, but because the administration is largely absent from these meetings, as a student I have little power.
As a senior member of the boys’ water polo team, did you not recently meet with administration on a similar issue of censorship? “As everyone knows, there was some controversy with the senior swim team picture this year, which captured the seniors in a humorous pose, and I was one of the seniors who spoke to Ms. Harada directly about it. During the meeting however, I and the other four seniors were told that such things, allowable under the previous administrations, would not be allowed under the current ‘Regime’ and fellow senior Dayne Contarsy received a detention later in the week for questioning this ‘Regime.’”
Can anything be done to salvage out school spirit? “I think that there is a lot that can be done to improve the school spirit and giving the students more control would help. Its more fun when ideas are thought of in ASB or during team meetings on the pool deck are actually fulfilled and realized and everyone isn’t afraid of getting one phone call from a parent.”
Moving forward, what do you think is the ideal or realistic solution toward increasing school spirit? “I think that it would be better for everyone if there was less censorship and less restrictions halting all of the fun. “
There we have it folks. Because of the administration’s irrational fear over a phone call from an angry soccer mom, our school spirit is being crucified on the cross of political correctness.