At every assembly, we are implored by some team or group to attend an event. Sports games, school plays, fundraisers, dances, and other functions are constantly calling for participation. “Come to the girls’ soccer game this weekend! Theme is white-out!” “Sno-ball dance tomorrow! Get out of your house and come see your friends!” “The school play is next week! Tickets only $7!” Attendance is voluntary, but do students have a responsibility to attend?

Two members of SIAC, a leadership group that promotes school spirit, weigh in. Siona Dev ’14 views participating in school events as a choice, and commented that it, “encourages school spirit and brings our community together.” Caroline Hunsicker ’13 has a different take on the issue; “You have an obligation to your friends on the team.” She continued, “At Blake, where the academic schedule is so rigid and stressful, school spirit is a way to relieve that stress and see your friends. When you see your peers supporting you it makes you feel good and builds community.” Both Dev and Hunsicker agreed that school spirit was a central part of the high school experience and students with school spirit make Blake a better place.

At the end of the day, it is our job to make Blake the place we want it to be. We respect our peers because we expect the same in return, we welcome new students with open arms because we value community, and we work our hardest in our ongoing endeavor towards excellence. As Paul Menge, Upper School Assistant Director and SIAC faculty advisor noted, “Some feel it is their responsibility, to support their peers as much as they can by attending as many events as they can, and they enjoy doing this also.  Although I can’t imagine a scenario where anyone would be required to attend events, my own experience has been that school spirit and high student attendance at school events are highly and positively related.”

Showing support for school groups and teams benefits both the participants and the fans. Menge wrote, of his experience at the state soccer tournament, “We were proud to represent our school and looking across the field to see row after row of Blake fans in the stands, there to support us, was just incredibly inspiring. I will be forever grateful to all those who attended and helped create that memory for our team!”  Students have a responsibility to attend school events because wholehearted school spirit brings together the community, helps students to perform at their best, and perpetuates a cycle in which students feel supported by their peers and support them in return.