While walking up to the student section during the 2013 Walnut Hills football game, one may have witnessed the students sitting quietly in the stands. The observer would most likely have been shocked, seeing as the student section, dubbed the “Ave Cave,” is consistently the rowdiest part of the crowd.

The reason for this stillness was the collapsing of the front rails separating the stands from the field, which resulted in a dozen seniors toppling over the edge and a few injuries. This event is evident of the extreme boisterousness of the student body.

“It was scary but awesome at the same time. We cheered so hard that we broke the stands,” junior Martin Gonzalez said.

Spirit is a central part of the high school experience to many students who take pride in SHS and love cheering for their school at all times.

“School spirit is very important to me because it helps build character and a love for the school you spend a majority of your time in. It also helps bring students and faculty members together by means of a common connection to our school and shared excitement for what it has to offer,” junior Lydia Deppart said.

For sophomore Max Chun the spirit he has experienced at SHS, so focused on sports and athletics, is a new and different concept.

“In Sycamore they play football and fans cheer (the team) on. In South Korea, we cheered for our high school math and science competitions. My high school in South Korea was one of the best science high schools, and we cheered for them. We had a Sangam High School parts, where other high schools came and we danced and cheered for our school,” Chun said.

In contrast to these expressions of spirit, a large portion of the student body seemed to be lacking enthusiasm. To combat this, Principal Doug Mader and the administration have attempted to revamp the student body’s love for SHS.

“I want everyone to feel good and take pride in belonging to Sycamore High school. Part of that pride is showing school spirit. School spirit shows that pride in a classy and outward fashion that comes in a multitude of ways,” Mader said.

Mader’s passion for spirit seems to be working, as many athletes have already been called in to sing the school fight song over the PA on Friday mornings.
“I never even knew the words until I heard the song one Friday,” Gonzalez said.

Mader hopes to see spirit consistently increase for the foreseeable future.

“School spirit is one way to show pride for yourself and your school,” Mader said.