How Leadership and ASB create different opportunities for school spirit

Spirit+gear%3A+Senior+Luke+Kustra+stands+in+front+of+the+display+of+school+spirit+items+in+the+East+Hall.+The+LSHS+student+store%2C+the+Cove%2C+sells+shirts%2C+hats%2C+bags%2C+water+bottles+and+many+more+fun+supplies+for+any+Viking+Superfans%21+They+sell+cool+class+color+shirts%2C+sophomore+Zoe+Hopkins+said.

Dakota Latham

Spirit gear: Senior Luke Kustra stands in front of the display of school spirit items in the East Hall. The LSHS student store, the Cove, sells shirts, hats, bags, water bottles and many more fun supplies for any Viking Superfans! “They sell cool class color shirts,” sophomore Zoe Hopkins said.

Coming back to campus after a rough year-and a half of online learning has been difficult for both students and staff. Many different aspects of everyday school life have been affected, and school spirit may have been one of them.
LSHS is known for its spirit during the sports season, at school dances or other school events and during the actual school day. Leadership and ASB focused on school spirit on the first day of school and during Homecoming week. Are we going to see the same amount of excitement during the rest of the school year? And, what types of events will be coming up soon?
“We’re still kind of figuring out what all we are able to do, what we’re capable to do, but the next big thing that we have coming up would be the food drive at the end of November, through December,” leadership teacher Kendra Peterson said.
Peterson has a lot of hope for activities that are coming up this year.
One of the biggest things on students’ minds has been the virtual assemblies and videos that were created by Leadership and ASB. These “assemblies” that are played after second period classes have been the only semi-consistent school spirit activity that students have experienced. And so far, they have had mixed emotions about if they were making an impact.
“So, that’s interesting, I feel like for people that actually do watch it and actually enjoy seeing videos, yes, but for the most of the student body who just don’t have the time to, it’s really difficult to really get stuff across with virtual,” junior Romeo Bustillo said.
Currently, LSHS does not have the all clear on normal assemblies due to the maximum number of people they can have in a confined area. Lake Stevens High School’s 2,000 students makes the possibility of having real assemblies slim, but it isn’t a definite no.

“And so there’s a lot of people involved [other] than just like Leadership, and Ivelia, being like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. You have to go higher up and then you have to work with the state with all of that. So right now we’re staying virtual, but it’s not like the decision has been made for the entire year. It’s always constantly being looked at,” Peterson said.
Overall, Leadership and ASB are just getting started with all the school spirit activities they have planned this year.
Be on the lookout for the Food Drive coming in November, and make sure to watch out for sporting events and other school events to participate in and have fun! School spirit is something enjoyable that anyone can participate in.
“Just in general, school spirit participation is encouraged. It’s really difficult sometimes, when you feel like you might be the only one doing school spirit, and I think that’s why a lot of kids are intimidated by it, like they don’t want a superfan or they don’t want to do the spirit week because they think that people are gonna think they’re silly. But like if they’re the only one doing it, like good for them. They’re being the only person out there, so we appreciate it because ASB tries to follow all the spirit weeks and dress up for everything so when other kids do also, it makes us really happy,” junior Emma Miner said.