Looking for bright and talented students? Students with high test scores? Students who get accepted into top institutions? Come to Clayton High School.
Despite all these positives that Clayton possesses, we fall short in the area of school spirit. With homecoming week behind us, what sports games will be packed with students? What school events will be populated with orange and blue? The simple answer: not many.
The CHS boys’ cross country team has won their districts for five years in a row and the girls’ softball team has won two out of the past three. But how many cross country meets or softball games can Clayton students claim to have attended? The CHS swim team is having one of its best seasons in years, but the bleachers are filled with little more than the swimmers’ parents.
Some may argue that Clayton yields small turnouts at these events because it is a small school of under 900 students, yet there are private schools bursting from the seams with spirit, packing the house at school events with even smaller student bodies.
During the school year, some students spend more time at school than they do at home. From having zero hour classes to late night sports, the hours add up and can reach almost 12 hours.
CHS turns into a student’s home away from home and the other students, another family.
With an increased amount of school spirit, students will be able to trust and lean on each other for support.
Going to school every day should be an exciting experience.
Students will not only want to perform well for themselves but also for their school, whether that is on the sports field or in the classroom.
The stronger sense of community and everybody’s personal investment in the school can have nothing but a positive impact on CHS.
Encouraging a stronger sense of school spirit can even benefit the school financially. When alumni are proud of their school and feel a closer connection to it, they are more likely to donate money and return for events at the school after graduation.
Who knows, you might meet a new friend, join a new extracurricular activity, and even just be a happier person for just buying into the school’s spirit.
I believe that Clayton can do better. Students should support each other’s performances. Take pride in what the CHS “family” has accomplished. Be all in.
