Through all of the stress occupying school, there is always something to get students through the first few long weeks of the year. The excitement attached to football games is unmatched, boosting the morale of students and enhancing their school spirit. The unified chants, the community of peers, the anticipation of the Friday Night Lights and all the amusement the night brings. As football games are a centerpiece of student coalition and entertainment, it begs to wonder why other events do not bring the same stimulation. We at the Tower believe that all sports, clubs and school organizations deserve recognition and representation from the student body.
School spirit begins with student participation and requires the majority to be involved, not just a few. Throughout the year, Student Association organizes spirit days where students have the opportunity to show school pride and partake in a fun theme with their peers; however, outside of Homecoming week, student participation is poor and takes away the purpose of even having them. It is unfair to the student organizations that are continuously putting forth effort into these events when appreciation from the student body is not reciprocated. This repeated result puts these student organizations in a difficult situation: do they continue to keep trying to push school spirit or utilize their time in different ways? It is unrealistic to assume that they will continue putting up these efforts without receiving consequential participation, which is their entire goal.
A large part of school spirit comes through support; we at the Tower believe that every team should get acknowledgment for their skillset. Every athlete at South puts in hours of training daily and weekly over the course of their season, and members of nearly every team receive All-State or All-Region awards. On top of that, even a fraction of our teams make it several rounds into the playoffs, taking home trophies and gaining recognition for the elite athletics at our school. Since every team puts in the necessary work to excel at their sport, why is it that only a select few get recognition through fan attendance?
Devil’s Den plays a significant role in capturing the attention of students for sporting events. With the help of Devil’s Den, the majority of the student body attends football games for the student section themes, music and overall experience of the game. Through the use of social media, they are able to post a theme and grasp the participation of hundreds of students. As they put so much effort into football and see results doing so, why is it that not all sports get the same support? Devil’s Den does so much to provide a fun and exciting experience for the sporting events they attend, so showing the same enthusiasm for less popular sports could gain recognition from other students.
We at the Tower believe that every school organization, primarily including band and choir, should not only have the opportunity to showcase what they put time and work into, but have it equally promoted and received in greater numbers by students at South. Even here at The Tower, one of South’s oldest and most beloved traditions, we have struggled in recent years with student subscriptions and interaction.
It is easy to understand why football gets the most attention at South. A football game is an event in itself with the environment and communal presence that reign supreme over other sports. However, it is only this way because the student body has made it so. Therefore, if South students unite to support their peers, we can bring energy to other events among sports and groups abroad at South. While rallying a vast number of students may be difficult, it is not impossible and should not go without attempt. There have been games in the past for other sports where student interest was sparked and the subsequent attendance came. We at the Tower hope that appreciation and school spirit can become more diverse and spread from the norm of four/five football games a year.
