Although school is primarily a place to learn and grow, students and staff also look forward to enjoying the other events and extracurriculars Edison High School provides. Whether it be participating in clubs, cheering for our football team, laughing at pep rallies, or watching the marching band and color guard perform, the fall season at EHS offers a multitude of events that reinforce school spirit. An abundance of entertainment and excitement are two things we look forward to at school during this time.
As the fall season comes to an end, and the days begin to shorten and cool, however, students focus solely on their academics. Their weekday cycle goes more like this:
- Wake up
- Go to school
- Attend club meetings, sports practices, or work
- Study/complete homework
- Eat food
- Sleep or scroll on social media
That autumn atmosphere no longer remains lively; instead, their weekday cycle becomes redundant. Many students do not get the chance to see their friends or participate in after-school clubs due to the cold weather, the increased stress of schoolwork, or simply the lagging daylight.
At the beginning of the school year, many students are affiliated with fall activities or multiple clubs that EHS offers for the whole school year. As a result, some of those students who initially promote school spirit are the same people who eventually feel detached from their school community at the end of the fall season.
“I do feel that there is a slight decline in school spirit because I think a lot of people feel disinterested in what’s going on,” said Maymunah Majumder ‘26.
Because students have to juggle their studies with waking up early in the morning, they are often exhausted and too busy to participate; as a result, some students believe that simplicity encourages participation.
“For example, for school spirit weeks, a lot fewer people are participating because of the complex themes. I think the themes for each day should be simple and not overdone,” said Majumder.
In accordance, Student Council Advisor Mr. James Napoli believes that students, even those who solely participate in the fall, deviate from a simple lifestyle.
“I think there is so much [school spirit] that it is hard for students to devote themselves to something well. Students often go ten minutes to one club and then ten minutes to another,” Napoli stated.
Since most clubs are either on Wednesday or Thursday, most students stay after school and have to choose which club to participate in; in turn, they are unaware of what they missed in another club, and this “hopping around” method proves to be ineffective.
Striving to pursue their passions while earning volunteer hours or developing a well-versed college application, students often sign up for too many after-school activities that they do not get to devote their time to a single club. As a result, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., students are running around to every club, burning all of their enthusiasm away. By the time winter events are announced, students are burnt out and unable to participate.
Despite demotivation, winter activities that students devote their time to include Battle of the Classes and hallway decorating, which is a way to encourage students to participate outside of academic purposes. This appeals to students as they are often driven by competition. However, student involvement in these activities proves to be a challenge at times during one’s high school career.
“Junior year is the most difficult to be involved in school activities due to the increased demands of standardized testing and college preparation,” Srihari arthi Senthilkumar ‘24 said.
Despite eleventh grade being a difficult year, Napoli views that involving every grade in a specific event is difficult as everyone has their interests and their own demands. Thus, Battle of the Classes—an event that brings together people from all grade levels—is supposed to promote student involvement and community amongst winter activities.
Another way participation is encouraged during this seasonal shift is through the opportunities offered to give back to their community.
“Our food drive benefits families at EHS and secondly our Giving Tree is where students and staff can take a tag and purchase a wish-list item for an EHS student or sibling,” said Guidance Counselor Ms. Kimberly Zavistoski. “It always amazes me to see how our community comes together to support other Eagles.”
School spirit exists throughout the school, but it takes on different forms. For instance, students find more opportunities to participate in local charities and holiday decorating rather than sports and pep rallies during the winter season. Nonetheless, students are encouraged throughout the school year to bond and take part in the opportunities EHS offers to foster a united and loving environment.
