The roar of a crowd, the flash of blue and green shirts, the bustling hallways; all things that can be envisioned when imagining school spirit. Often considered something that is integral to a healthy school environment, it is time to evaluate Woodgrove school spirit.

From the ancient High School Musical films to the renowned Harry Potter franchise, school spirit has been glorified in the media. This has led many people to have a preconceived notion of how school spirit is defined and implemented. 

Spirit points, earned by grade levels, are a system meant to encourage school identity at Woodgrove. However, many students are unaware of its existence or significance. The big prize, a class party, is used to tempt more students into interacting with events, which is partly how spirit points are earned.  

Woodgrove hosts many events throughout the year, the most prominent being sports games, homecoming, and prom. Accompanying these are club or program sponsored activities, like this year’s Knockout Tournament. The turnout for these events are, on average, not something that Woodgrove lacks. The excitement of watching your fellow classmates compete or the reverence of attending homecoming is a sure motivator beyond the accumulation of spirit points. Another impression of school spirit is through peer tutoring opportunities.

The writing center is one such area and offers a place for upper and underclassmen alike to submit essays and literature projects for peer review. The students that make up the tutoring force here are dedicated and well-informed, often staying enrolled with Mrs. Harar throughout their two million minutes. This is a great example of the willingness to help others that exists at Woodgrove. 

Despite this, feelings among the student body are not always amicable. You would be hard pressed to find someone oblivious to the presence of fights or unruly conduct. It would be naive to say that Woodgrove is a perfectly polished jem, but that does not mean that the reputation as a whole is sullied. While certain actions must be cut down, others can be looked back on and learnt from, and it is these experiences that blend with the larger good to create a chaotic harmony. This feeling is what powers the lunchroom squawking, the parking lot musings, and the locker room small talk. 

School spirit doesn’t have to be something regulated or defined. It is what the students make it, combined with the vision of our academic leaders. Merchandise and events are simply mediums for which it can be expressed. For this reason, it must be concluded that Woodgrove has great school spirit. There is good and there is bad, and it is up to us as students to stop that line from going too far into the red, as opposed to our beloved blue and green.