Decline in school spirit and lack of participation in Olympic Rally
Updated: Oct 9, 2024
By Lauren Law Sep. 25th, 2024
The gymnasium buzzed with excitement as students and faculty piled in. Rhythmic hand claps and cheers from the stands filled the air. Olympic-themed banners hung from the ceiling. Students’ chants echoed off the walls at the first rally of the school year, the perfect opportunity for Chargers to come together and strengthen school spirit.
The rally took place on Aug. 23, and was Olympic themed in honor of the Paris Olympics this year. Participants could compete in games such as an Olympic relay, musical chairs, “Just Dance,” tug-of-war and finish the lyrics. The gymnasium was embellished with decorations based on the Olympics, such as a replica of the five interlocking Olympic circles hanging in the center, according to Sophomore Sanika Mehta.
As stated by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, participating in school events helps students relieve stress and take a break from academic pressure. In addition, rallies bring students from different backgrounds and interests together, creating a more unified circle both inside and outside of the classroom. Rally games not only strengthen teamwork between the participants but also promote pride within the watching students as they cheer on their class. A Harris Polls survey of 1,300 students found that 75% of students who were perceived to have the most school spirit performed better academically, and nearly 90% of those students felt more connected to their school and classmates.
However, at the school, many students have reported lack of enthusiasm for spirited events. This decline in spirit can be attributed to pessimistic opinions about school; students often feel stressed and overwhelmed by their course load, and associate school with long, tiring hours. Many students reported that, when they were swamped with work, they did not feel obligated to participate in spirited events. Students like Freshman Venice Lu are also worried about participating in games as they are afraid of putting themselves out there and embarrassing themselves.
“I wanted to participate in the rally games, but I was scared that people would make fun of me for dressing up and showing school spirit. However, my friends who chose to participate really enjoyed the games. I am unsure if I will participate in future rally games, though,” Lu said.
On the other hand, students like Junior Brady Kramer were considering participating but simply forgot to sign up.
“At the first rally, we did not get the amount of game sign-ups we wanted, so we decided to pick random students from the crowd to increase overall spirit and participation. School spirit has definitely been going down at the school, so our plan this year is to take things back to the basics,” ASB President, Senior Jeffrey Tseng, said.
Tseng explained how the word of the year in ASB is “elementary”; the students’ goal is to make things easier and more “elementary” to build back school spirit from the bottom up. ASB plans to incorporate simpler, more sought-after spirit days before moving on to complex activities.
Regardless, students who participated in the games enjoyed the overall experience. For example, in the “Just Dance” game, students went head to head, dancing against each other while the crowd cheered them on from behind.
“My favorite part was how everyone got super excited and cheered for their classmates to win. The team spirit really made the school feel more connected,” Freshman Logan Derse, who participated in the game, said.
Partaking in rally games creates a positive atmosphere of school unification, reduces stress and allows students to connect with their classmates. As participation in the school’s rallies declines, ASB has implemented strategies to revive spirit. By focusing on fundamental and engaging activities, there is hope that school spirit and pride will continue to prosper.
About the Contributors
Lauren Law
writer
Lauren Law likes playing tennis, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. Her favorite band is Keane.
Wei Wang
photo-media
Wei Wang is part of the photographer and media team. This is his first year in journalism. He enjoys competing in cross country and track and field events. He also likes to spend his weekends taking photos and editing them in Photoshop, as well as being a foodie.
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