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By Kourtnie Beschorner
School spirit is soaring or sinking, depending on who you talk to.
Some students at AHS say school spirit is lacking, while athletic director Josh Rasmussen says that school spirit is “pretty good.” Rasmussen said he has noticed more people wearing Trojan Gear, which indicates good school spirit. He also said attendance at school events is “in good shape,” although he would like to try to get more boys’ and girls’ games together so we have a bigger crowd.
In contrast, some students have been disappointed at games and how restricted the student section has been lately. Senior Amanda Gude said the administration has “taken away all the fun at basketball games. Chants we have done for years are not allowed anymore and it just makes me angry.”
In response, Rasmussen said, “We just want to make sure we maintain sportsmanship. We don’t want chants directed towards individuals, so we have asked [students] not to yell chants.”
Rasmussen suggests that instead of yelling chants that are inappropriate, students chant positive things to motivate their team.
Some students have said that the administration has forbidden students to have dress up themes. However, according to Rasmussen, students can dress up, but they must follow the student handbook. Students are not allowed to paint their faces or have their faces covered at a school event.
Rasmussen encourages students to attend events and wear the school colors to improve school spirit.
Senior Savannah Hoye said, “We need to cheer positively and incorporate more dress themes. We should also not talk badly about our teams if we lose.” Hoye also mentioned that we could improve our spirit not just at games but also in the building. Hoye said spirit would improve “if the cheerleaders would make signs for all of the sports, not just football.”
