Editorial: Are We the Apathetic International School of Guangzhou?

From the staggering amount of homework assignments and tests to the long commute required for students to get to and from school, it is no surprise that some students do not feel compelled to spend their personal time supporting school events.

It may be unrealistic for our school spirit to live up to the energetic and earnest scenes we see in TV shows like Glee, but it seems to be a well-accepted fact that AISG lacks in school spirit. From what I have gathered through interviewing students and faculty, there are various reasons for why this is, and StuCo is trying to improve school spirit—but it is essential for everyone to do their part by participating in school events and expressing enthusiasm.

What is school spirit? According to the Macmillan dictionary, school spirit is “the feeling of being proud and enthusiastic about the school that you go to.”

When I asked Ms. Dean, this year’s StuCo adviser, how she feels about the school spirit at AISG, she said, “It’s lower than I hope it would be. We have such potential to create an awesome community and I’d like to see us do a little more.” Dean continued, “To me, school spirit means to recognize that you are a part of a group. We, as individuals, contribute to the success of the group.” She also said that a reason for why people do not get as excited for school events is due to people’s cultures. For the most part, people at AISG tend to be more reserved. Dean and others believe that it is possible for AISG high school students to exhibit more pep and show more support for others in the school community. Dean added, “It will take a lot of work [from] the administration. If teachers are involved and care about the lives of their students, then it would reflect on the students.”

Ms. Martin-Bauer, who has been at AISG for twelve years, also believes “the culture is different.” She said, “I think there is school spirit. If you’re looking for fans to cheer teams on, we don’t have a tradition of that sort of thing, but students are supportive of each other in other ways.”

Senior Nikita Gohil has been at AISG for twelve years and she feels that there is hardly any school spirit. Gohil puts the blame on the amount of work that students have to complete each night. She said, “a lot of people in our school are emotionally depressed, mentally tired. We do not have the energy to be school spirited.” She believes that there should be less homework and a greater emphasis on school spirit. While many students are happy with the idea of having less homework assigned, this is a request that may seem impractical.

When I asked Helen Liao, who has been a part of StuCo since Grade 6, how she feels about AISG’s school spirit, she said, “this year is better. I think Mr. Tragert is a huge part of it because he is really spirited and you see him everywhere. It makes students feel more happy to be crazy.” Liao added that StuCo is looking to change the house system to improve school pride: “if we do it by grades, people would have more pride.” Liao thinks that students are “pretty supportive for the sports that we have here on campus. Facilities are a limitation.”

Principal Timmerman told me, “AISG students have a lot of pride in their school. I think that school spirit manifests itself in a lot of ways. The vast majority of students like their school and like coming here. People have said it’s a good school compared to other places they’ve been.” He did note that there do not tend to be many spectators at school events. Timmerman’s solution to attracting more spectators is “perhaps investigating [the] time piece. We could do stuff at different times and possibly increase [our attendance] and therefore support for other activities.” According to the definition of school spirit and Mr. Timmerman’s observations, AISG is school spirited.

However, a large number of students do not find this to be true. ‘Nobody cares anyway’ is an often-heard phrase among students. When asked about his thoughts on school spirit and students’ support for each other, Ibrahim Bah reflected on a time when he went to the gym and there was a basketball game happening but nobody was watching. According to Bah, “It was just the coach saying ‘Go Rams’. Nobody finds it interesting.” Our school has a range of athletics and activities, but students seem reluctant to show support for other teams. We complain that nobody cares about our own sport, yet most of us allow this trend to continue by failing to show support for other teams. Students are very excited to ‘support’ a volleyball game or a soccer game when it is during the day and gives them the opportunity to miss class, yet the idea of going to a sports event on the weekend or staying late to attend a concert is not that appealing to the majority of students.

Although many of us, myself included, have accepted the fact that we are apathetic towards our school’s activities, I think that it is important to have school spirit (what’s that called? oh, right, hypocrisy. guilty as charged.). High school should be about more than memorizing formulas, theories, literary devices, dates, names, graphs, formulas, and case studies. The purpose of our high school education is not just to receive a diploma and get into college; it is also about developing meaningful relationships, learning to deal with difficult situations, embracing commitment, and working hard. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

Many AISG students spend considerable time on homework and studying, which shows the work ethic and commitment they have towards academics—this is essential for learning and further education. Academic motivation is an admirable trait of AISG, but I think we owe it to ourselves to have an energetic, encouraging community. The combination of excellent academics and a spirited student body would create a memorable, meaningful high school experience. I fear we are in a rut of negativity where we are half-heartedly going through our routines without taking a step back to assess our attitudes and opinions. ‘Supporting my peers’ may not be a box to tick on your college applications or help you get straight A’s, but do we really need a reward to be involved and supportive students?

Is high school helping us solidify positive character qualities? Are we going to leave high school and make a difference in the world, or will we fade into the background and allow the world to pass us by? School develops not only our intellect, but it also gives us a chance to develop attitudes, habits, and character traits that will take us far in life. Showing school spirit, rooting for our teammates, getting involved—these activities are what demonstrate our care for one another, and are a first step to becoming better people and thereby making the world a better place for all. So, whether you do it on the bleachers, in the classroom, or from behind your computer screen, do not leave high school without ever having truly understood what it means to support other members of your community: try your hand at giving your time without expecting anything in return.

If you think that we could be more spirited and would like to enhance the high school experience, put forth your individual efforts to contribute to being the change you wish to see and encourage others so that we can collectively become school spirited. I am listening to Michael Jackson’s lyrics and “starting with the man in the mirror.” It starts here, it starts now.