Tigard students are getting back into the spirit

Around 175 students attend first spirit section, final football game

By Cheyanne Blevins

     Tigard students are finally getting back into the spirit of things. 

     With the crazy year that students have had to endure, there really haven’t been any opportunities to relish in high school experiences. 

     A big part of high school is the spirit events that are held, like having themed dress for sporting events, spirit week dress days and even school assemblies throughout the year. 

     Junior Kate Schaures is one of many who believe just how important these events can be.

     “For me, it’s a way to support my classmates and stay involved in THS, and they are a great way to have some fun while also showing your classmates that you care about their activities and want to cheer them on,” Schaures said.

     Unfortunately with COVID-19 and the restrictions that it brings along with it, these things were put to a halt; that is until recently. With the COVID vaccine release and Governor Kate Brown’s loosening of restrictions on schools and sports, opportunities have opened for students to get back out there. 

     One of the exciting things that students were able to take the opportunity of was attending the last varsity football game of the season. Although their season was short, the team’s last game against Clackamas on April 9 was the first with student attendance in over a year. With around 175  students for the black out game, it was a sight truly not to be missed. 

     “Opportunities for the student body to come together and collectively celebrate THS are very important to me, and I think that any time we can create a shared feeling of being in this together, for better or worse, it is a great thing,” leadership adviser Jesse Abell said. “I think missing out on that has been a large part of why the past year has been so tough.” 

     Junior football player Elijah Jackman explained just how important a student spirit section is to those playing on the field. 

     “I definitely think that having the fans there improved our playing,” Jackman said. “When there aren’t any fans there, it’s hard to get excited and ready to play, but even with just a few fans, we were able to play our best game of the year.” 

     Events like these are indeed special, and when dealing with a year like this one there were a lot of things to be taken into consideration and choices to be made for planning an event like the football game.

     “I definitely enjoy these events, because I enjoy watching and cheering on our teams, but in my mind it is more about the students, and as far as planning the black out game, I was honestly a little bit torn these events are incredibly important to me and to the school, but I also feel like we should be doing everything we can to continue to stay strong and fight the spread of COVID,” Abell said.  “We are so close to being through it—but we definitely are not there yet.”

     This has been a very serious and stressful time that we have been put through, but it is opportunities like these that students are given and bring a little light at the end of the tunnel.

     “It feels really refreshing to be able to attend these events, especially after a year of quarantine, and I can also appreciate them from the perspective of an athlete; it was really fun to be able to participate in volleyball and tennis since I didn’t think I would be able to play this year,” Schaures said. 

     These feelings are also voiced by Jackman. 

     “For me it means a lot to have these events back, and it reminds us that we’re not just players but students as well and that we have a ton of support from our peers,” Jackman said. “Our school especially is very good at doing these spirit events, so I’m super excited to have them back and cheer on other players.”  

     Hopefully as more vaccines get passed out and as long as guidelines are followed we will continue to gain back our events, and Abell truly couldn’t have said it better. 

     “When restrictions have lessened because we are sure that it is safe to get together, I am looking forward to a lot of things I am looking forward to looking out of my classroom window and seeing 800 people together in the commons, I am looking forward to a Friday night and a fully packed football stadium, I am looking forward to our assemblies and hearing 1,800 students cheering in unison.” Abell said. “And I’m looking forward to a normal day of school, with all of its minor victories and failures.”