Smells like Samo spirit: a swell in Viking pride
In recent years, school spirit has been dampened due to the COVID-19 pandemic which halted pep rallies, sporting events and school dances. Without these key experiences, it can be challenging for students to connect with Samo. Now, with the full-fledged comeback of school-sanctioned events, there has been an uptick in school spirit.
Stefani Tovar, the Student Activities Director, discusses how ASB is able to function more fully and how they are making changes this year to regain strength in their operations.
“It's currently a work in progress," Tovar said. "We are all getting to know each other, this is my first year in this position, we have different expectations and we are going in a different direction. We are trying to improve upon the work that has been done in the past so we can collaborate more with the student body and the teachers on campus.”
A big enhancement of the school spirit is found in the overall increase in spirit among the Samo student body. Depending on the student, this can be attributed to the success of this year's football season, more sporting events, more creative and elaborate spirit weeks — the increased variety of schoolwide events in general. For example, on Nov. 3, during fifth period, the Samo Viking Marching Band marched through the halls, stopping to play as many students came out of their classes to watch the show.
By playing in the halls, the marching band gained recognition for the effort and long hours they put into music. The band also played to bolster school spirit. According to marching band director Kevin McKeown, this event was held in celebration of the football team's first home playoff game in many years. For a few minutes, the marching band was able to grant the students a small break from classes to listen and enjoy some live music. Marching band musician Mia Inocencio (’25) provides insight into how some of the students might have felt during the music.
“To everyone else, it’s just a good show, a little distraction from their classes," Inocencio said. "But at the same time, we saw people getting out of their classes and dancing. So I think we kind of let everyone have some fun in that moment.”
This year, in addition to the new activities, ASB is aiming to take events done in the past, including pep rallies, club row and the typical dances, and enhance them by incorporating more student involvement and feedback. ASB will also add a new dance this year, which according to Tovar has involved a lot of community and parental input. Tovar explains that the overall goal is to foster community in the school and she hopes school spirit ties it all together.
“My vision is to make sure that everyone ideally has a connection to our school, whether it is through a club or one of the programs in our school," Tovar said. "I want everyone to feel like they belong here and are a part of our campus."
Martin Ledford / Contributor
Samo Viking Marching Band students play pep tunes in the second floor Innovation Building quad, the second stop on their tour of the school celebrating Viking varsity football advancing to CIF playoffs.