What has happened to School Spirit?
The High School that all three of my daughters attended qualified for the Elite Eight of the State Basketball Tournament this year for the eighth straight year. Which is pretty freakin' amazing.
At those early games in the run, the student section was simply packed with Spartan green. They had their own cheers. They had their own dance moves. They were almost as much fun to watch as Michael, Wes, Justin and the rest of those early teams.
As I watched v8.0 of the Memorial Spartans in the Championship Game Saturday night, I was stunned that the student section was a shadow of its former self. Only 2/3 of the seats were taken...and I surely didn't see anything like the Ikegwuonu brothers' legendary crowd-sourcing movements.
Am I missing something? And, don't tell me it's gas prices or the cost of hotel rooms...because the Championships are played, errr, in our home town.
Is it because winning is old hat for this school? Or, is it because today's students no longer embrace the concept of winning?
Because, from my perspective, it sucks.
Congratulations, Spartans. At least I was doing the old crowd moves in my easy chair as you won another State Championship...in triple OT. Hell yeah.
Image: Martha Busse / Madison Magazine
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