Samo’s unorthodox idea of school spirit and admin’s attack
Despite consistent suppression from administrators and ASB members, the grade camaraderie that is amplified by pep rallies might be the most outright expression of school spirit that samo has. The games played during rallies separate the grades into four teams. This division forces friendly competition subsequently causing a divide between the grade levels which fosters an environment that expresses rivalry and pride simultaneously. Of course, the main issue that dissuades teachers and parents from promoting this behavior boils down to one thing: senior superiority.
Seniors scream the loudest, cheer the loudest, sing the loudest, and ultimately, boo the loudest. They are adorned in their class colors, physically demonstrating their grade pride. Their place at the top of the grade hierarchy leads them to believe that they have supreme authority over the levels below them, but don't they?
Having undergone almost three years of high school already, I never viewed senior behavior during rallies as abusive or unnecessary. In fact, I would argue that it gave me something to look forward to. The differences made me anticipate senior year where I could assume the role that once loomed over me. The booing, dancing and cheering appears to be an award, not arrogance.
Senior spirit during rallies, despite overshadowing other grades, also encourages underclassmen to express class loyalty as well. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen have caught onto the trend of booing and cheering, though to a lesser extent than to that of the upper classmen. Senior class solidarity has begun infecting every other year, creating an environment of amplified school spirit even though it might not be seen as traditional.
You could argue that this is more representative of grade divide than overall school spirit, I would say that demonstrates a clear step towards unified school spirit. The truth is that competition breeds spirit; whether it is pep rallies or football games, the concept of one group winning over the other forces people to advocate for their side. So, when the grades are divided during pep rallies, rivalries and alliances naturally occur. This does not undermine samo pride in general, instead it represents how we all have school spirit within us but we just need the right circumstances in order to embrace it.
Ultimately, the administrators push to end this behavior is really not as necessary as they think. Their kind reminders and warnings during rallies have clearly fallen on deaf ears as ASB’s constant reprimands have been continually ignored. So instead of insistent pestering, why don't they just let us express ourselves the way we want to? Even if the competition can seem harsh, I have never experienced an instance where this behavior has extended beyond rallies. At the end of the day, samo school spirit is still going strong even if we express it a little differently in comparison to other schools.