E/A Reflection: Rethinking School Spirit

As confused touring families passed students in red togas and bandanas this weekend, a change came over our campus. The Exeter/Andover Games are a long-established tradition during which the two schools have come together to compete and demonstrate athletic skill and their sportsmanship (and occasionally righteous hatred).During the days leading up to E/a as well as the weekend itself, Exeter school spirit bloomed magnificently all over campus. From giant Exeter flags flying from dorm windows to temporary lion tattoos on all parts of the body, our students displayed their overwhelming support for our school.Despite losing the football game, E/a was no failure, as it brought Exeter students together in their support of our athletes, and our hatred of the big blue.Although this was an impressive display, the wonderful school spirit displayed recently does not necessarily extend to the rest of the Exeter community. The alumni/ae of Exeter and Andover have recently held a competition, raising funds to benefit each school respectively. To incentivize larger donations, the school that raises the most money will victoriously fly their flag above the other’s campus, stamping their “superiority” over their rival.While both schools certainly have a wealthy pool of alumni from which donations could be received, the competition was rather uneven. Until near the very end of the competition, Andover was ahead by hundreds of contributors, and the possibility of a blue flag over the academy building was an all-too-real horror. Although we did pull through and eventually win the challenge with many last-minute donations, this was only achieved by constant prodding for contributions.What exactly does this say about our community of alumni? Should school spirit simply fade after a few years once you’ve graduated? Should Exeter simply be a name to tack onto a resume and disregard at all other times? Surely pride in an Exeter Education should extend further than this. Of course reunions serve to re-connect graduates with the school, but I think it’s important for them to maintain on their own some ties with the school.While people view relationships forged at and with colleges as quite lasting and carrying over to later life, high school is often disregarded as an experience that has little or no bearing on life after graduation. In some cases this is true, but Exeter is certainly no ordinary high school.I would argue that many lessons learned at this school could be more useful and applicable to life in general than many you may learn at college. Friendships forged at Exeter could become lifelong bonds, just as easily as any made at college. While I’m not saying that one should put their high school at the center of one’s life after graduation, it is important not to forget your ties to Exeter once you leave. The four years spent at this Academy undoubtedly contributed immensely to who you are as a person today, and helped you reach whatever heights you have soared to.And this does not only extend to alumni. Aside from E/a, students very rarely express school spirit. Complaints are issued daily about the workload, the rules, the food, and many other things. Sometimes I feel we fail to recognize the incredibly opportunities being afforded us at this institution. School spirit should not merely be about beating a rival; it should be about pride in your school, a recognition and appreciation for the incredible education that you are receiving here.