School Spirit

Despite 30 degree weather on a Friday night, the Stevenson football stadium is more alive than ever. While the team battles on the feld, the bleachers are eǦually flled with e஬- citement and passion. The student section is packed full of Stevenson students donning thematic outfts and accessories. With their faces brightly painted, the fans echo each other’s cheers in an efort to will the Patriots to victory.

Stevenson’s athletic events are widely attended by students. Fans, athletes and coaches alike believe the student section’s pep and spirit contributes to the ability to succeed while on the feld. ‘arsity baseball player Drew Ruchim ’20 feels that Patriot faithfuls’ spirit defnitely helps gameplay.

“I think our student section is one of the best in the area, if not the best,” Ruchim said. “We have a lot of guys who have a good connection with the team.”

With a fullŦsized stadium, fee T-shirts and recurring sport shoutouts on Stevenson’s social media pages, Stevenson prioritizes having a completely full student section at many athletic events. Many of stu

STANDS FULL Student athletes, fans and coaches refect on school

dent athletes agree that it can make all the diference during a tight game.

Even coaches agree that overwhelming spirit fom the student section can have an efect on the game. One such believer is head football coach Brent Becker.

“There is no question that all of these groups play an incredible role in the atmosphere of our home games,” Becker said. “There is nothing like walking out to our stadium on a Friday night with our home crowd. It gives me chills just thinking about it.”

Despite the sizable turnout at boys’ basketball and football games, not all student sections have similar audience turnouts. Weather, media attention and duration of sporting events all factor into the attendance for a game.

“I do [feel like some sports have a more popular student section], rightfully so,” Ruchim said. “Basketball games are indoor and short. On the other hand, baseball games are more feǦuent and they’re a lot longer.”

School spirit goes a lot further than just the student section. Whether through organizing events or wearing the Pat Riot costume, some students take it upon themselves to create new means of promoting spirit.

Mark Lozovnoy ’20 is a member of Pep Club and an e஬ample of school spirit. Lozovnoy fnds Pep Club to be an important resource to e஬press the spirit of Stevenson’s students and ultimately improve athletes’ performances.

“The purpose of Pep Club is to encourage school spirit through bringing out the mascot [Pat Riot],” Lozovnoy said. “Our job is to communicate nonverbally with the student body and have them participate greatly in school spirit events alongside [Pat Riot].”

[any athletes feel that the eforts of Pep Club and the student section are helpful, especially during championship matches. }here is ofen a special emphasis on student turnout for playof games, when many see the power of the fans as a possible diference between victory and defeat.

“Last year, during the sectional championship for basketball, they played at Waukegan,” Ruchim said. “We had 100 students there, and they won and we felt like we con

OF SPIRIT spirit and powerful effect of student section at games

tributed fom the student section.”

Although school spirit ofen emphasizes athletics, it goes beyond just sports. Even students who don’t participate in sporting events feel the efects of zeal.

For Lozovnoy, school spirit is more than simply just a method to heighten the strength and passion of Stevenson’s athletes. Passion can also be used to unite the diverse population of Stevenson towards a common love for the school and its accomplishments.

“For me, school spirit is important because that’s how we motivate the athletes, share a love for a sport, and invest our time and life in a school community,” Lozovnoy said. “We created Pep Club because it is meant to encourage more school spirit. School spirit does motivate kids to be proud of their school and encourages them to attend as many events as they can.”

In whatever ways students show their spirit, many athletes and coaches feel the efect of student pep. Becker understands the passion a student can feel when surrounded by others who share a common love for the school.

“When the stands are flled, the entire game has a diferent type of energy,” Becker said. “I love looking up and seeing the student section rocking and the band in the endzone.”

WRITTEN BY: SOPHIA ISMAIL, KATIE LEE & HUMZA QAZI DESIGNED BY: VICTORIA FENG & EMILY LU