Mesa College is suffering from a severe school spirit drought. In high school, sporting events were extremely important. Many people probably recall sports as being their favorite memory during high school. Whether they were an active supporter, an athlete themselves or part of the band, athletics typically played a significant role in establishing a well-rounded high school experience.
Imagine it once more: the crowd goes wild with every touchdown, the stadium is filled with nachos and blankets, and moms are screeching their sons’ names from yards away. Visit the parking lot, a crowd of boys are hurling insults at each other and physical altercations are taking place when someone says, “your team sucks.” So, where is this spirit at Mesa College?
You seldom overhear students or staff having conversations about the football team’s recent victory or expressing how excited they are about the women’s basketball team’s upcoming season.
“It’s not often you see someone walking around asking people whose going to the Mesa game.” said Mark Cottrell, a student at Mesa.
Also, it is rare to see someone circulating information on upcoming events and roweling up a crowd to get pumped for game nights.
“I never see anybody actually turning up and spreading positive vibes around the school,” stated Mesa student Khistapher Graham.
It is obvious, college requires a lot of time and energy. Everyone is focused on homework, projects and assignments. Spending valuable time and money on a game doesn’t seem practical for most students. Balancing school, work and maybe even children is the main priority. School spirit seems to have no place during this overwhelming and time-consuming season of life.
“Everyone seems to be on their own individual level,” stated Mokoto Mojus, a student and athlete at Mesa, “seems like nobody cares.”
Plus, there are many students that are older and returning to college to further their education. They already lived through the college years and choose to remain focused on their studies. If they really want to watch sports, they are more than happy to do it in the comfort of their own living room.
However, students fail to realize how much of an impact their spirit has on an athlete and even on themselves. Going to these events boosts the morale on the campus in general. It promotes unity, energy and positivity when we come together with a common goal and support our fellow peers.
“Sometimes us athletes feed off the energy from the fans,” stated Mojus, “I think it would help instantly and long term.” The roar of an audience sparks a fire in an athlete. The sound of someone screaming their names and cheering them on pushes them to try even harder. Not only do they want to try hard for the team, they also want to persevere with the intentions of not disappointing their supporters.
Referring back to high school, posters and banners played a significant role in getting people to go support sports teams.
“I don’t feel like the school addresses the upcoming events that happen with the sports, schedule and game wise,” stated Cottrell.
Attendance rates can be increased at sports events simply if the students know when they are going to happen! Some students are ready and willing to show their support at any given moment.
“I do not attend (sports) events at school because I never know of them,” said Graham, “I’ve been at Mesa for a year now and still don’t know when the games are. I would most definitely go so I can get wild in a boomin’ way!”
