According to research by VarsityBrands.com, “School spirit is a powerful reflection of pride, achievement and determination. It goes hand in hand with positivity and is a benchmark of a school’s holistic success."
The report adds that “students with school spirit do more than show support for their school. They perform better academically, are more socially and civically engaged, and are happier in general than their less-spirited peers.”
Students of Detroit International Academy have been brainstorming more ways of developing and showing school spirit. One way is the Pep Rally. It is a tradition at most schools for the football team’s homecoming game. Within the first months of school, it is a scheduled time to show some school spirit.
Students are asked, the week leading up to the event, to display school spirit by wearing colors that represent their high school. They then are asked to do a series of activities according to their grade level.
But the question remains, how can we incorporate more school spirit?
Sophomore Dikea Seaton said: “It's really a great school it keeps me focused, when I see this school I see it as a sisterhood. But school spirit, I’m at a loss.”
“As a school when we work together, we form a bond, so we should have car washes in the summer," sophomore Marcia Thomas said. “Someone to sponsor our school would show that people actually care about us.”
“If you want to see more school spirit, we should have more clubs and organizations," sophomore Rachelle Shorter said.
Sophomore Mikirra Bowers added: “Let’s start simple. As a group we can design class shirts. We need students and teachers to attend school games.”
“If they didn’t charge for games, we would have more kids go, and that can be more school spirit shown for the team members," sophomore Latya Houston said.
But sophomore Marshelle Dixson said students don't go because their team is going to lose.
Houston disagreed.
“You should never doubt your team or your peers, that’s where school spirit begins," she said.
