As Friday gets closer, energy begins brewing for the football game everyone has been waiting for. The varsity players show their pride as they parade the halls in their bright jerseys. The school bell rings, signaling the start of the weekend, and all rush home to prepare for tonight’s football theme.
While school spirit fills the air, some miss out on the opportunity to stand for their school.
Football games this year have seen a growing trend of students not participating in the dress theme. While there were always some outliers in previous years, the number seems to be growing.
“There are some people that don’t dress the theme, and it’s a little disappointing because we want everyone to be as engaged with our school and our student section as they can be,” Raider Nation leader Connor Gerst said.
Themes are announced on social media platforms and all over the school television sets so that all students can be aware of what to expect at each game. This means that those in the student section who do not participate in the theme will likely do it out of their strife.
“I think it’s terrible because it ruins the energy having nobody cheering and nobody dressing up for the themes,” senior Joey Servedio said. “Me and my friends go all out and it’s annoying to see people sitting in the student section wearing nothing that has to do with the theme.”
With everyone showcasing school spirit to support the football team, matching the theme would make students fit in more. However, some students who do not dress may think that they can blend in among all those who already participate.
“There are kids that just don’t feel comfortable within their own skin to go out there and dress the theme,” Raider Nation sponsor Bradley Aney said. “I don’t think they’re trying to be defiant. I think that at the end of the day, students want to show up and, as much as I would encourage them to continue with the themes, just having them out there with the student body is a step in the right direction.”
Nonetheless, it’s clear there are some problems with student etiquette at football games. As the crowds begin to break apart, piles of trash appear scattered all over the bleachers. Food lies everywhere with no regard for those who need to clean it up.
“There’s trash almost every single game there, especially at the gold out game,” Gerst said. “After all the games we all go up into the stands and then clean up all the trash that was left. We really encourage people to use the trash cans that are there and clean up after themselves so there’s not a mess left behind for anyone to pick up.”
While there’s no way to enforce a rule that makes students pick up their trash, a Raider Way lesson to bring awareness toward cleanliness could have a positive effect. Either way, Raider Nation continues to put their best efforts into supporting the community and athletics at Huntley High School even if some miss out.
“I take a lot of pride being a sponsor of Raider Nation in general, but I cannot tell you how proud I am of the 14 individuals that ended up being selected,” Aney said. “I do think that they are a transformative group that is going to allow our school’s culture to move in the right direction for years after them. I’ve had uplifting groups in the past, but this is one of the strongest groups of written initiatives that I’ve ever had.”
