Throughout my four years at Hoover High School, I have witnessed the lack of  school spirit, however also noticed spirit is only shown depending on the activity occurring as well as only showing school spirit when students are rewarded. I also feel it is the same group of people in specific sports who show spirit to support that sport and friends. Some students feel embarrassed to show school spirit because many other students don’t show it, which holds them back from showing it themselves.

School spirit to me means showing enthusiasm for your school and partaking in school activities/events and academy. I believe that all staff should be responsible for emphasizing school spirit instead of relying on a single class to demonstrate it, such as ASB or our principal.  Doing so will create a change for school spirit in Hoover for the future. Relying on a class to demonstrate school spirit is not enough, because it should be practiced campus wide to actually improve and increase spirit.

With the arrival of our new principal, Mr. Jason Babineau, he has been a positive role model of spirit and continues to spread it throughout campus.  That enthusiasm has made an impact and increased spirit with students. The times I remember in which I felt school spirit was Spirit Week. The class who showed the most spirit throughout the week was the class winner and received the Spirit Trophy. But after homecoming week, the spirit just slowed down.

I think the staff should show more school spirit throughout the year to create that change and to show incoming students that it’s a natural thing to participate in. Students should participate more in school events that are meaningful, and if this happens, it could increase school spirit.

As a senior now, in comparison to my freshman year,  I have witnessed the improvement of school spirit with the help of people who want to make a change and be that change.  I feel over time, the school spirit will just grow.