It seems that, suddenly, students at Mason lack school spirit.

This became apparent to us by the empty seats we saw at last week’s Rebound Week Pep Rally, and the apathetic conversations we hear about the spring Sadie Hawkins dance.

We get it. School is hard. You have homework, jobs, all your other extracurriculars to worry about. Maybe you just don’t like sports. But showing up at a game is not the only way you can show school spirit.

School spirit means having pride in your school. It means celebrating the success of your peers. It means coming together in a non-academic environment and celebrating interests. We practice school spirit by wearing Mason colors, or simply recognizing an accomplishment. A little can go a long ways.

Skipping the Pep Rally or bashing a school dance sends a bad signal. These events are what you make of them. The Student Council Association (SCA) and staff at Mason can only do so much to inspire engagement and encourage students to enjoy themselves. We have the power to make it enjoyable and spirited for everyone, if we just do it. If we walk into a school event with the mindset that is going to be lame or dreadful, then it will be just that.

This begins with how we talk about school events. Saying that school dances are lame because “no one goes to them,” is the root of the problem. Students can attend the school dance and mope about how lame it is, and consequently leave early; or they can go and have a good time. It’s up to you.

The same exists for pep rallies or assemblies or anything organized by our peers. In the case of the Rebound Week pep rally, we heard students say that they felt less engaged because they were not involved in the events themselves.

But this is when school spirit is needed the most. This is when you engage yourself. Cheering and creating hype at an event is a collective effort, and it works to motivate others.

We are not saying that students must attend every basketball game or school dance to show school spirit. However, we at The Lasso see value in fostering school spirit, and think that with the efforts of all students, pep rallies and school dances can be something that everyone looks forward to.