Spirit has always been Inglemoor’s niche . Bothell has football, we have spirit. It is something we pride ourselves on, one of the ways we identify ourselves. But, in the last several years, our spirit seems to be in a lull.

Two years ago, pep rallies and spirit assemblies were something to look forward to. Even if the activities weren’t that great, it was always fun, simply because we were constantly surrounded by sixteen hundred other people who were having a good time. It is difficult to be loud, happy and excited about something if no one else is excited with you.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t those super-spirited students around; you know the ones. The ones who stand up for every activity, who wear black and gold spirit-gear every friday, who actually dance and sing enthusiastically when asked. It’s just that there aren’t nearly as many of those students as there were two or three years ago.

Maybe times have changed, maybe it’s the students themselves who have changed, who are less enthusiastic. The more likely answer is that the atmosphere has changed.

Two years ago, the Naked Viks spirit group was dismantled. In the wake of this, it seems that school spirit has declined drastically. Perhaps this isn’t the cause, but it is the simplest answer.

This isn’t to say that we should blame the administration, or anyone else for this predicament, it is simply a recognition of a problem.

The only way to fix a problem like this is to be completely aware of the circumstances and make a conscious effort to change them.

Not everyone cares about being spirited, and that is okay. People’s priorities lie in different places.

But those of us who do care need to step up our game. If we want this to get better, if we want to make spirit assemblies fun again it is on us. Not the administration, not the ASB: us.

We are the only ones who can start participating again. No matter how many games the ASB throws at us, we won’t enjoy them unless we start putting in a little effort.

It is on us to dance, sing, and be enthused. No one can make us have a good time. It is also up to us to make sure that assemblies are a positive experience for everyone. Getting reprimanded as a school for disrespectful behavior isn’t fun for anyone.

As Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.”