The ghost of school spirit past

As many of you know, this week is CSC’s Homecoming week. While there are decorated bedsheets hanging in the Student Center, and a few extra events on campus, there is little to show for the celebration.
Dress up themes for every day this week were set in advance, and published in the paper, yet there are few individuals who chose to participate. This isn’t new this year. The school spirit at Chadron State has been a sad display for years.
Last year there were less than 15 clubs that had floats in the parade. CAB even provides clubs with a list of people in Chadron that have pickups and trailers and are willing to let clubs use them for that parade. Even still, the floats that are in the parade are decorated to the minimum.
We understand that people are busy, and it is hard to coordinate and find times that work for everyone to get together and work on a float, but each year the date for Homecoming is set by the time we all return for classes in the fall, and that is more than enough time to put something together.
There are 55 clubs at Chadron State, yet the number of floats that have been in the parade in the last two years has not touched the potential. It is sad to watch.
Homecoming is supposed to be a big week. It is a big week for the volleyball and football teams, and CSC has events around campus for people with a wide array of interests. The community doesn’t necessarily see the lack of interest in the festivities on campus, but they definitely see it when it comes together to watch the parade.
The students at Chadron State are lucky. The people of this small community support the college in every way that they can. But it sends a bad message when the students here don’t have enough spirit to flaunt. How do we expect the community to stand behind a school that we aren’t behind 100 percent?
While it is not the sole responsibility of upperclassmen to create a school full of spirit, there is a certain power that comes with being older. If the upperclassmen at Chadron State participate in Homecoming, there is a greater chance that the freshmen will see that and be more likely to participate.
School spirit has to start somewhere, and it’s not too late to bring it back this year. As we go into the Homecoming weekend, take the opportunity to participate and show the school and the community that you care about the school that you have chosen to attend. And make sure to set a positive example while you do so.