Editorial: Hear it. Cheer it. Spirit.

Let’s face the facts: the unfortunate aftermath of the most recent Pep Rally wasn’t a surprise. It seems like every Pep Rally is plagued with problems ranging from chanting to general disorder. We have had our activities privileges rescinded so many times we have become numb, and the recent resignation of ASB leaders makes it seem  to us like the administration is grasping at straws.The failures of Pep Rallies may be rashly attributed to ASB or the administration, but some of the blame lies on us, the student body. This is not because of some general anarchical tendency, but a natural reaction to the environment surrounding school spirit. Pep Rallies are mandatory and Spirit Week is scheduled — a scheme that is destined to fail for one reason.Mandated spirit is inherently flawed.Spirit is an emotion that must be fostered within an individual, rather than forced upon them by an external motivation.  When was the last time you laughed because someone told you to? You may have laughed, but you didn’t think the joke was funny. In actuality, the best emotions arise from spontaneity.That’s where chanting comes in.Chanting is the one spirited activity that arises spontaneously, and is therefore the only one we truly feel a motivation to participate in. It doesn’t stem from an attachment to one’s graduation year, nor is it meant as a middle finger to “the man.” Chanting is the one form of spirit that isn’t scheduled at Samo, and that’s why we keep doing it.Corralled into a designated area, bombarded by prepared scripts and ordered to remain silent, the one escape a Samo student has is to chant those measly two numbers: one-one.  And that, in the midst of dictated conduct, feels like school spirit.Chanting, for all its glory, is still not the spirit we are trying to foster.   It is simply a symptom of a larger problem, a problem of school spirit that stems from the mechanical manner in which the spirit itself is prescribed. Instead, we should strive to create spirit through moments like Cody Williams’ inspiring and unscripted speech at the homecoming rally.True Samo spirit is evident during sporting events; there are no quibbles over graduation year, but rather genuine pride in Samo and its athletes. Watching the struggle of our school versus another, we naturally come together as a whole rather than dissolve into warring factions.  This school spirit is not brought about by a planned theme, or a script for our mascots about modern slang, but is rather a unified reaction to an unpredictable and exciting series of events.  And the crowd’s spirit is pure — undiluted by anyone who might not want to attend.So let’s put the spontaneity back in spirit. Have the Pep Rally not be part of a class period, but rather part of lunch (as in a club day schedule), where students can attend and display their school spirit as they choose.   Have the rally be shorter, with less effort put into scripts and complex scheduling.  It’s time to go back to the basics, to an environment that is more conducive to a spirited attitude. With this implemented, chanting will be superseded by truer forms of spirit, and the fallouts associated with chanting will likely disappear as well.As it stands, Pep Rallies can be monotonous, logistical nightmares, and a waste of teachers’ valuable class time — without any clear benefit to offset the negative aftermath.  ASB puts in an extreme amount of time and effort into elaborate shows that are not appreciated by the students themselves.  Ultimately, the student body should be responsible for showing their own spirit, rather than relying on the efforts of ASB and the administration.Editorial Board 2010-2011