I remember the scene like it was yesterday. The sun blazed my skin as I gazed at the senior smiling into the mic. There was a request for each grade to respond the loudest at the “PB” callback. The seniors’ screams echoed throughout the football stadium. By the time it reached the freshmen — including me at the time — there were but a few murmurs and weak shouts failing to fill the air. The bleachers of students might as well have been full of mice. 

Little did I know that this event would reflect our diminishing school spirit and pride over the next two years.  

The lack of spirit in the hallways of Paint Branch High School is a result of the belief that not caring or showing effort is the way to go. Just two years ago one of my predecessors, former Mainstream writer Yeabsira Getachew, a member of what I saw as a lively senior class, wrote about PB’s lack of school pride and spirit in her article “Pride is Your Prerogative.” Yeabsira’s article, published in 2023, commented on what she saw as a shortage of school spirit at the time. However, for freshman me, it was something to aspire to. In fact, Yeabsira’s article makes multiple points that nod at PB’s nonchalant dilemma, which, unfortunately, has only worsened. 

While there are people who strive to rep PB during spirit week and attend school events, they are greatly outnumbered by those who don’t. Spirit week just passed and you could only find a handful of participants for each spirit day per grade level. Add to this what I see as a member of PB’s marching band, where I’ve had the opportunity to witness the spirit level at each and every football game, and well, there’s room for improvement.

During our first home football game of the season, the energy of the crowd was strong, however as weeks passed, the energy began to diminish. The closest it’s been to that level was our homecoming. I can still hear the yelling and the ringing cowbell from an alumni cheering in the bleachers as they represented a school that they have not attended in years. By comparison, our student section lacked passion, and let’s just say that there was no yelling and no cowbell. Unfortunately, this just further supports the fact that previous generations had more school pride and were not and are not afraid to show it. 

There are many reasons for the attitude on display by our current students including the loss of spirit as a tradition, which Yeabsira felt was due to the pandemic. In fact, she notes in her article: “once students returned, they had completely lost any spirit filled upperclassmen to influence them.” Comparing my freshman year to now (my junior year), I’ve seen the downward shift in spirit from upperclassmen. While there are some wonderful seniors who continue to hold on to that passion of school pride, it still pales in comparison to years past as there has been an exponential decrease over the years. The fact is, there’s not enough of an example to pass down to lower grade levels. With little guidance to show them the way, younger students are left with no real desire to show pride.

Another reason, one I’m guilty of, is simply not caring or enjoying the comfort of blending in with the crowd. When the majority is the group that doesn’t care, it’s difficult to put yourself in a situation where you’re the minority, the one student with spirit and enthusiasm, and stand out.   

However, it can be done. In preparation for this article, I made an effort to participate in our school spirit week. In years past, “spirit week” was like an optional school assignment, something I could do, but rarely did as I considered it pointless. In contrast, this year, I invested myself. When I dressed up as a minion, the theme for that day, I felt a little out of place, but seeing others participate made me feel less alone and happy to have joined in the fun. There were also spirit days where I didn’t have to push out of my comfort zone and still stay involved. For example, Class Colors Day was a great way to show pride without having to go all out. Whatever the reason for non-participation, I believe it’s of the utmost importance that we find the time to carry our school pride and shift perspectives. 

The point is, crowds are dry, spirit is low, and change is necessary. Caring and having fun in the moment is one of the advantages of youth. Anyone and everyone can do it, and even if it’s the bare minimum, attempting is better than doing nothing.  Adolescence only lasts so long, so go ahead and put on that costume, throw on some face-paint, and pop out with your class colors.  Let’s not waste our time while we have it.