The crowd roars, parents stand, everyone leans toward the field awaiting the final call, and yes! It’s a touchdown! They are leading by 7 points, and the families watching from the sidelines could not be more excited. Where is this? Definitely not Kearny High School. During every non-soccer game at KHS, the parents and students present continue to be indifferent. Only when a Kearny soccer goal is scored do the cheers rise up from the crowd. How low has our school spirit gone, and how far will it dip? 

Kearny’s school spirit has been low for months, maybe starting to fade since the quarantine year when games were cancelled. Without continued game excitement, the mood at events dies down, especially with most teams putting minimal effort out because of the break in sports. Homecoming is still uncertain, and many other events were delayed or just cancelled completely. Leaving students disappointed, are these announcements even worth it if they’re just cancelled in the end? One of the biggest disappointments this fall season was the absence of Kirby the Kardinal, who showed up for the first major event at the soccer tournaments in Red Bull Arena.

The next lacking factor is our school spirit, excluding sports. The week of October 25th was spirit week for KHS, but the effect was weak. Even with themes and rules posted on each class page, there was a big split between students who dressed down and those who just came in uniform. Another factor was the teacher support, most of whom did not care enough to dress up for the daily theme. Even if your time at the school is ending, using seniors as an example, you can still show that you’re a student here and make memorable experiences with others especially on days when the school has events or dress downs. 

It may be the underlying idea that schools will never return to normalcy or a sudden change in surroundings that adds to anxiety in school. However, this cannot be seen as an excuse to stop caring about your school. To make some good memories, show support, and form a closer community with other students around you, participate in events and school spirit activities! Whether you do this by showing up at sporting events, cheer at pep rallys, or dress down during the allowed days, it all makes a difference towards the school attitude.