In March of 2020, the announcement of a global pandemic put the world on pause. Schools all around the world were faced with the inevitable decision to close their doors.
While students completed their classwork virtually, schools sat empty, accumulating dust. The once vibrant hallways were now bare and dark, as the pandemic created a reality that felt more like an occurring fever dream than a real-world event.
This fever dream would last five months until the long-awaited news that many administrators, teachers, and students hoped for finally came in July 2020. It was time for students to return to the classrooms.
Life was taken off of hold, and reality was in full swing. That July, students at SHS flooded back into their classrooms after a long period spent at home without obtaining a proper education and with no interaction with their peers.
Though there were certain stipulations put in place to ensure safety against COVID-19, most academic, sports and extracurriculars were back in motion.
In a forever-altered world, SHS was back and ready to help guide their students to success. However, upon this return something was different.
The once lively halls of SHS, filled with spirit and excitement, were absent from the present day. Tired and mentally exhausted from the unfortunate experience of the quarantine, the pandemic not only took away students’ education but also their spirit.
“People were used to being at home, and not going out and doing a lot of things because of Covid…” SHS Booster Club Adviser, Stacey Matlock, said. “(Since Covid we’ve been) trying to get (kids) at school (to) cheer their classmates on.”
Now four years later, the reconstruction to gain the school spirit that was lost, is an ever-growing process. Dedicated groups work open-heartedly to incorporate culture into the spirit of SHS in the hope of students taking on the initiative of being more involved and prideful of their school.
This reconstruction starts at the heart of SHS’s school spirit, the Booster Club. Members of Booster Club work tirelessly to create a collaborative and positive environment around SHS.
One of the steps in this reconstruction is to talk to the student body itself. By asking what spirit days students are interested in and what activities they would like to take part in, student’s voices are taken into consideration.
This is an beneficial idea because some students are not interested in the activities that SHS has to offer.
“Since Covid 19, I’ve felt like it’s not necessary to be a high school student (with) high school spirit…” Senior Aaron Quinton said. “I try to have high school spirit, but a lot of the school things here aren’t that fun.
With a new group of emerging leaders running Booster Club, they have ideas and plans to strengthen the spirit at SHS.
Though these plans are not solidified yet, the first of their ideas were seen at the Spring Pep Session held on April 12.
At this pep session, members of The Myanmar Student Association (MSA) performed a traditional performed a traditional Mizo folk dance called the Chheih.
The dance itself depicts the spirit of joy and celebration, according to Ni Pa. It is danced at festivals and concerts.
The hope is that this dance will not only help SHS students learn about the culture of Myanmar but also inspire students to know about the wide variety of cultures that surround them at SHS. This itself illustrates true school and cultural spirit.
“We want awareness that there are beautiful cultures out there, and we are representing them through this dance,” MSA member freshman Andy Sakuthay.
The performance gained the reaction it was hoping for. Students all around the fieldhouse cheered for members of MSA as they executed their dance.
“It made me happy to see (others) look happy while doing something that they enjoy,” witness of the performance Senior KC Wells said.
Students and teachers witnessed the reconstruction of school spirit firsthand as a moment of awe passed over the student body.
While it’s true that COVID-19 knocked down one of the vital aspects of the community, through the help of the Booster Club and student associations like MSA, the hard road of reconstruction of spirit will be worth it if more students can find their place at SHS and see the true beauty it has to offer.
