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School Spirit is on the Way Out?
It seems that school spirit has dramatically decreased in the past few years; is it no longer cool to be enthusiastic about sports teams and school events? High School students have always been portrayed as ardent supporters of sports teams, teeming with school pride. However, it seems as if the notion of being proud of your education is important.

Freshman year of high school, students seem to go all out for school events; always attending Friday night football games, participating in school activities, and being heavily involved in clubs the school offers. By sophomore year, however, the lack of participation in these categories is substantial. Similarly, high school juniors are mostly involved with their studies and feel that they do not have time to carry of school spirit. Once students reach senior year, the student body really goes all out for their last year of high school. As the seniors celebrate their final year of school before moving on to bigger and better things, they seem to be the vanguard for school spirit.

Is it appropriate to say that your school spirit peaks in the beginning and end of your high school education? Looking at the general population of the school, this seems to be true. It can be pictured in a simple U-shaped curve; the highest points being in the beginning and end. This does not mean that you lack school spirit during your middle years of high school, the generalization can be made that the participation is significantly less.

Why might school spirit be important for students to have? Education is a key value in our country, and many peoples' lives revolve around it for the first couple of decades of their life. School spirit is an important element that goes along with receiving a good education, and even considered to be part of the hidden curriculum schools may teach. Being proud of the school you attend and supporting your peers at school events help to secure the hidden curriculum we are taught in American schools.

How do we increase school spirit if we are lacking in it? Participation is key; start small by joining a new club or two every year and work your way up to trying a new school sports team. Or maybe attend a pep-rally you would normally skip out on. These small steps can help pave the way for increasing the pride you take in your own school and education. After a while, it will be second nature to become involved with school activities and to be proud of your school district.

Even if your school has a strong sense of school pride, there's always room for improvement. Continue to get people inside your school and outside from your community to work towards bettering the schools and districts you are a part of. The feeling of accomplishment will be something you can take pride in (but hard to put on a college application...).