School spirit? Never heard of her. Most people, whether they be students or teachers, believe that the spirit in school is pitiful, but everyone has different theories as to why.

“Give me something else. Give me ‘High School Musical’! Give me something,” Destiny Juarez, junior, ASB Vice President, and reporter for the Wolfpack Times said. She believes that compared to the cheesy teen rom-com movies we’ve all saw as kids, MACES definitely falls short. Due to strict school and LAUSD policies, many students feel their ideas for events are never fully considered. Juarez clarifies that high school students, in particular, just want events that they plan and organize by themselves. 

“I think it’s difficult with a new school- that everyone came from different places… there’s no traditions… We didn’t have football the first year, so not having football kind of like makes it that you don’t have a place to focus spirit…,” Ms. Cotta, the Leadership advisor said. She said that football tends to get students rallied up because of the atmosphere that the sport brings. Cotta also explains that as the school gets older, the spirit in school will increase.

“I think the reason our school lacks spirit is because [students] don’t really get to see what goes into the sport or into the event… so if they could see that connection between how much effort goes into it, [we] would have a lot more school spirit,” Michelle Lopez, junior and Varsity Cheer Captain said. She later goes on to elaborate that even when crowds are full at football games, the spirit is just not there. Lopez believes that events would be better if people were aware of the hard work that goes into sports games, dances, or other events.

Last school year, leadership hosted a high school dance, The Winter Semi-formal, for high school students. Out of the 750 students, a little less than 25 tickets were sold. Even at the dance, students weren’t showing enthusiasm; most students were sitting down at tables, rather than dancing to the music. When compared to the student planned and organized event, Students vs. Teachers Basketball Game, hosted by Emily Mojica, President of Class of 2021, and Managing Editor for the Wolfpack Times, the turn out was a lot better. There were 20 player tickets and 86 spectator tickets sold. The overall environment at the game was energetic and lively, and the crowds were cheering for both the students and staff who were participating. 

Although most people think that the spirit could be better, there are some people that do think otherwise. Ms. Shannon, part-time school janitor, and the school’s biggest supporter believes that the community in school is filled with love and support. For Ms. Shannon, her bond with MACES allows her to walk into work every day with a smile. Ms. Shannon makes sure that she attends all the sports games she can because she knows her presence makes a difference in the crowd, “I am the #1 fan!”