As students flood the hallways, the undeniable sense of apathy and disconnection is palpable. The days of online schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic presented the perfect opportunity for the school to rally together and bring back our spirit bigger and better than ever — but unfortunately, we’ve fallen short.

The freshmen who returned to school after the pandemic are now seniors, and it’s evident our school spirit has not kept pace.

We’ve become a school that has to bribe its student body to even attend events to cheer each other on, and even then, the senior class has failed. There is an evident trend of isolation within and between the grade levels where students will only attend or participate in school activities if their friends are present.

Sports post-football are sparsely attended, clubs struggle to survive beyond March, assemblies are skipped and students fall over each other sprinting to leave the school. This isn’t just a matter of individual choices; it’s a symptom of a broader problem: the fact that we have no culture.

BV has lost sight of what it means to be part of a community.

Why should students feel so disconnected from peers they’ve spent over 10 years with?

Why should we settle for a lackluster high school experience?

It is time for us to take responsibility and make an effort into creating a culture, a community — not just critiquing the fact that we have none.

Creating a strong school spirit is far more than just attending events or participating in clubs; it’s about fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and connected. It’s about recognizing our individual experiences are only enhanced by our collective participation.

It’s time for us to reclaim our school spirit and make Blue Valley a place where everyone feels like it’s a great day to be a tiger.