Nikki Miller and Kristin Conner Keeping it peppy around Van Buren seems to be a growing issue. Is the support for different teams and clubs dropping? Does success partially depend on the support given to these activities? What can people do to show support? School spirit is at a low right now and it needs to be fixed! Think about the stuff going on outside of your own personal agenda for a minute and you’ll realize that there are busy people just like you that wish someone would come support them. More importantly, even if you can’t support a team or group, do not bash them! Each and every individual has their own personal interests and things that are important to them and since we all go to the same school, what is the reason to want one group or team to do badly? Would you rather go to a school where just a handful of teams and groups are successful or a school where everything they offer is successful?
 In order for our school to be successful, the first step is knowing what is going on with the different organizations around the school. If you want people to support your involvements, do your best to support what other people are doing. When talking to athletes around the school, they all seem to say similar things about how they don’t have a very good student section or people talk bad about their teams. Along with the athletes in the school, there are other groups like quiz bowl and show choir that seem to sometimes be forgotten about. Nathan Maynard, a junior and boys soccer goalie, was asked how he thinks he plays when there is a bigger fan base, he said, “It gets me pumped and I think I need to play better for them and I typically do.” Alli Arthur, a junior in the Association, agreed with Maynard when she said that she thinks she performs better with a crowd because she can hear the shouting so that she knows she’s doing well. Marly McCartney, freshman varsity goalie for the girls soccer team, said that she seems to think that school spirit around Van Buren is doing well but maybe there could be something done to show more support for activities like show choir and quiz bowl. McCartney suggested maybe hanging posters and making it more known what is going on with these groups since they aren’t as popular. Reasons that students can’t go to sporting events is that some events are on school nights and kids have homework. Athletes have this homework too, and they get it done even after the game, although they may have to stay up later to do so. If you are unable to make it to the events, tell a player good luck either through a tweet, a text, or in person! Along with doing these activities, you could also join Van Buren’s new pep club. Van Buren’s pep club was brought up by Emily Anderbery, a junior and volleyball player, and Mr. Hite, the new Athletic Director. Anderbery stated, “We felt like the spirit here wasn’t good enough so we wanted to create a club for which we could raise it. We’re going to try to have themes for every home sporting event to make it more fun!” Anderbery tries to make it to as many events as she can because she feels that because this is her only time in high school, she should be a part of the team (figuratively) and participate in as much as she can.
 Students can say that other teams bash them, so why can’t they do the same? That’s a fair point, but that doesn’t make it right. You shouldn’t fight fire with fire. It goes back to the old cliche saying if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all. Participating in spirit week is another way to help. It’s the only time of the year where students can dress up crazy and have fun. It’s the week of Homecoming and everyone gets excited for that, but no one gets excited for football or any other sports team. It’s also the week of the Powderpuff game. Many students complain that spirit week is dumb because the ideas are lame. Some of the ideas may be lame but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do them. Who cares if they are anyways? Students can still have fun with them. Some students aren’t able to afford the outrageous costumes that they see in the halls. If you can’t afford something, make it homemade. You may end up liking it better, and it’s more creative! If you are guilty of a lack of school spirit but you’re looking to get more involved, there are a ton of ways to do that. First and foremost, try to make it to as many Van Buren events as possible. Do your best to go out and support anyone you can. Another thing that might help school spirit grow is to say congrats to a group, like show choir, on their success. No matter what you’re involved in at Van Buren, support the other activities that your peers are part of. Be supportive, be nice, and be spirited!
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