Students of all grades packed the stands of high school basketball games, shouts rang out on the football fields after the first touchdown of the big game and there was always a standing ovation for the symphony orchestra after their performance of an epic overture by a classical composer. In the hallways of Lake Oswego High School during finals week, everyone–students and teachers–dressed according to the wacky theme for the day whether it was pajama day or twin day. That is what made the high school experience, well, a high school experience. 

This school year, I’ve found that there was less of all of that and more of “well do I have to go to that basketball game?” or “I didn’t even know it was twin day today.” Even worse, by the end of home football games, some of the most exciting events of the school year, half of the student section was gone. 

Junior Ruben Bhowmik identified a similar issue in our lack of school spirit. Bhowmik commented on assemblies and how there weren’t as many assemblies as there used to be.

“I’ve actually noticed with the recent assembly that we’ve had a lack of assemblies this year. I was pretty surprised, a little bit sad. Heartbroken that we haven’t had assemblies as often this year.”

The assemblies, planned by ASB and class officers, are an opportunity to get together with the entire school to announce events, recognize sports and bring awareness to a variety of school groups. Assemblies are also a chance for students to have a break in their schedules to focus on something less academic.

“They’re [assemblies] cool because we don’t have to go to class, and they’re more fun than being in advisory or something,” said sophomore Ahmed Tony. 

Bhowmik also saw assemblies as a good opportunity for the leadership team and class officers to “share an idea that you think would benefit the whole student body. Assemblies are a good way for that announcement to reach them all at once. But I guess it really depends on what they want to do with that opportunity to have everyone there.”

Senior class officer Aidan Kwapisz noticed the lack of school spirit on the leadership side of things. He noticed the lack of school spirit especially within his class, but explained that “we have a lot of passion for change in school since we have a lot of experience in planning different events … but one thing we didn’t take into account was how busy our lives just generally are because of the nature of first semester senior year.”

I’ve personally been bummed out with the lack of assemblies and the general lack of school spirit. I am at every assembly and I also attend many school events like games and concerts, and even comparing it to my freshman year two years ago, it isn’t really the same. 

I think school spirit is a really fundamental part of the high school experience, and I would love it if our school engaged in more of that, because it makes school an overall more enjoyable place to be. 

We recently had the Family Feud and rock-paper-scissors assembly which was one of the first assemblies in a while, and it made “me feel excited, and it was a lot of fun, but at the same time I wished we had more of these assemblies to get a break from our classes,” said junior Aanandi Sohal. The rock-paper-scissors activity was a great schoolwide icebreaker game, and it was so much fun, but I feel like it would have been more fitting in the beginning of the year to 

Kwapisz promised that “in the future, and even currently right now, we’re focusing on making school spirit more of a priority.”