Empowerly

Student profile

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

When it comes to school spirit, I am both an iconoclast and an agitator. Many people at my school tend to ridicule the idea of having school spirit and make fun of those who do. I don’t let other people’s opinions affect me because I believe having school spirit is a way to support other members of the school and have pride in who we are as a community.

In my freshman year, few people attended sports games or participated in pep rallies. At first, I went along with this “anti-school spirit” mentality and did not attend many school events. However, I slowly began to question why having school spirit is so unpopular and started to realize that the lack of spirit not only causes divisions in the student body, but also promotes the formation of cliques that invoke a false sense of belonging. I also began to see a lot of great things about my high school, such as the wide range of class options, the high academic standards, the many facilities that are available to students, the wonderful teachers who almost always have their doors open, our football team’s wins, and even the funny morning announcements.

Early in sophomore year, I was determined to be more involved in my school community in the hope of cultivating a sense of community spirit and persuaded some friends to join me at the football game against our rival. They agreed, then invited their friends. When the game started, there was a crowd of 50 sophomores and juniors and we all ended up having a blast. It was a great opportunity to support and socialize with new and old friends alike.  

After I saw how this football game brought so many students together, I decided to join the new 6th Man Club, which was founded by students like me who have pride in their school. Getting more involved with my school made me realize that I wanted to play a bigger role in my community, so I ran for the student government position as School Board Representative. The position requires time and effort because it involves representing our 2,250 [name of high school] students to the School Board. Joining the School Board also enabled me to join the student government class, where I met many new people and developed a deep comradery with other students who are engaged in their school and community.

Last year, I learned that school spirit is not only about getting involved, it is also about making a commitment to handling challenges that arise. The people I met in student government are like a second family to me, but every family has its problems. In the year that I joined, there were two new advisors who changed several school traditions related to Homecoming, other dances and the overall structure of the ASB class. These actions produced tension between the students and the advisors. Everyone was unhappy with the current situation, so I suggested that the ASB class approach the advisors to discuss these issues. Eventually, we decided to write a letter to the advisors, which resulted in a meeting that had a positive outcome. By showing that we care about the student government class, we earned the respect and understanding of the advisors and were able to move forward. If we had not communicated and taken action to address these issues, the problems might still be haunting us and ASB would not be as productive or cohesive as it is now. 

Though the terms iconoclast and agitator are often used in a negative context, my experience has shown me that challenging strong beliefs combined with actively advocating for change can have a positive impact on both individuals and cultures.