‘We got spirit yes we do, we got spirit how bout you?’ Ah yes, the chant of school spirit, one of the only chances a student gets to show off their pride and enthusiasm for the place they attend five days a week. However, is school spirit really that important? Does school spirit help the student body feel united under a cause? Or does it make students feel obligated to show up and do things so that athletes play better in a game? The idea of school spirit may sound dumb or forced, but it is a key part of a student comradery and the high school experience. 

While many think that school spirit doesn’t have an impact on the game itself, student athlete Connor Dick believes otherwise. “Whenever there is school spirit, we play better. Having 200 to 300 students all cheering you on, it just gets you going.” Dick said that school spirit was a key part of being a student. “School spirit makes school more fun, it makes you involved and makes being a student fun.” Without school spirit, students would lack a connection to their school. This would create a learning environment that would not promote students to enjoy school. When students don’t enjoy school, their learning becomes inhibited and school starts to take a turn for the worse. 

School spirit doesn’t have to mean wearing school gear all of the time or being rowdy in school before games. Dick said, “ School spirit is all about going to games throughout the year and participating in things like spirit week.” School spirit doesn’t mean being loud and proud of being a Knight. School spirit can be as simple as wearing red on Red and Gold Day or going to a  Hellgate sports game of any kind. Being present in a school is the biggest part of school spirit. All it takes is a little ‘Go Knights’ in the hallway and school spirit is underway.

However, school spirit can go overboard. There is no need to pressure someone to go to school events or dedicated times in class to learn about school spirit. School spirit is something that should be taken on by the student body. The student body should be welcoming, show enthusiasm and be present. That will create a school environment that fosters school spirit and school pride. 

Melina LaPlante, Student Body President, holds similar views. “…Encouragement towards school events should be used. I know that underclassmen don’t know a lot about activities or things happening in the school, and it is on Student Government to get that information out there and give them the access and knowledge to be able to participate. I do very much encourage underclassmen to participate in school activities and be at these games and events because it is a lifelong memory you get to take with you. I think that school spirit is a unifying factor and we need everyone to participate…”

School spirit is important and should be implemented in more areas than just popular sports as well. Sports like tennis, swimming and cross country should all receive equal school spirit when their games, meets or matches take place. 

The student body should take more responsibility  to show up to high school games and activities in droves and show Hellgate school spirit at every school event. This will unite the school and make the school a place where students want to go and a place where students say they are proud to be a Hellgate knight. It is time to stand up, get out, and be proud to be a Hellgate knight.