Demonstrate School Spirit!
Photo Credit: Marisa Ferreira
Left to right: Clockwise from top left: Kyle Bundy, Tyler Janitz, Tre McClellan, Braxton Medrano
October 13, 2011 • Linsonyda Ourng & Carmen Romo, Apex Staff
Filed under News, Top Stories
Freshman Tyler Janitz sat in his desk as he overheard classmates talk about that night’s volleyball game against Pitman. Then, Sabrina Sordello, member of the girls’ volleyball team, went up to Janitz and said jokingly, “You should paint your body and show up at the game tonight.” That wasn’t just a joke to him.
“The girls mentioned it was their most important game, and I took it literally when Sabrina said to paint my body,” said Janitz. “They needed a ton of support and a loud cheer section.”
“One of our goals is to get as many people as we can spir¬ited and hyped up for events taking place within the school,” said Janitz. One of his reasons for joining Spirit Club was to have fun at the games for sports that he doesn’t play while still supporting the players.
He needed backup so he asked junior Braxton Medrano, sophomore Kyle Bundy and sophomore Tre McClellan.
They pushed the doors open into the bright lights of the gym, painted in blue and yellow with Crayola Washable Paint. Janitz was the letter “J”, McClellan “A”, Bundy “G”, and Medrano “S”. They looked around the stands and didn’t see many students. Parents and other spectors rushed over to take pictures of them as the faces of the volleyball players lit up when they saw the boys.
The boys took a spot in the top row of the bleachers and started cheering and waving their signs. Before they knew it other students and parents joined them. Kylie Stevens named them “The Bleacher Creatures.”
“When she was in high school a group of boys would do the same, like dressing up in spirit wear, and they were called the Bleacher Creatures,” said Medrano, “so we adopted that name.”
The volleyball players repeatedly thank them and recognize them for their courageous act. But supporting the volleyball team isn’t the only thing Janitz does. He is currently the vice president of the Spirit Club and tries to promote and spread spirit as much as he can.
As the president of Spirit Club, junior Chelsey Azevedo wants nothing more than for students to simply be involved more, and the “Bleacher Creatures” was the perfect example.
“Even if the students are sitting down in the stands, they can still cheer for the team. They don’t need the ‘I’m too cool’ attitude. It kind of upsets me,” said Azevedo.
Junior Michael Lange, who is also in the club, commented, “I don’t like it when people don’t clap for the team when they are doing good.”
“When we’re losing, people shouldn’t be less spirited. We need to cheer up when the team is down in the slumps,” said Azevedo.
The purpose of having a spirit club is to help ignite other people, especially students, to join and be spirited as well. School is not always fun and the games after school are what many students look forward to.
Oftentimes, the spirit level of Gregori is unfairly compared to other high schools. As a new high school, there aren’t any seniors to lead the way and show the underclassmen how to show school spirit, and that has been a huge challenge.
Additionally, there aren’t many dress up days throughout the school year. Having dress up days is the chance to show who has the most spirit.
“Dress up days are meant to have fun and express different personalities,” said Azevedo.
Janitz has noticed that once a person or group is cheering on the team, more students will come in the group and before he knows it, everyone will be screaming out cheers as loud as they can.
“You just need to be around your friends and the crazy comes out,” Lange said. “I think it will get better once there are more kids.”
“The students’ spirit will ignite everyone else’s, Azevedo added. “Even the parents and little kids. Once it gets started then it will show.”
She has talked to many people about what was best about their high school years and being involved with the school was the main big thing that made it better, but she has hopes for the future.
At the end of the game, the Bleacher Creatures came down from the stands knowing that they did their best to show their spirit.
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