In the two and a half years I’ve attended NSU, it was rare for me to see support for our fellow athletes at their games. As a commuter, it was rare to see any games promoted, and students never talked about them. It wasn’t until this year, when I moved on campus that I attended my first game. When you live on campus, it’s hard to miss the sounds of sneakers hitting the basketball court in the arena and the ticket booth workers inviting you to check out the game. This year, there has been a major shift in school spirit on campus. NSU has also made big improvements toward increasing school spirit at games.
I graduated from a very sports-focused high school, St. Thomas Aquinas, where the stands were always packed with fans ready to cheer the football team on Friday nights. Coming from this, I had a hard time attending games where the stands were nearly empty. I found it hard to believe that people were barely showing up to support their teams.
Extracurricular activities are supposed to provide a setting where students get involved and interact with other students, thus leading to increased learning and enhanced development. It’s widely known that the more students get involved and show school spirit, the more they excel in their academics.
Boosting school spirit by having non-academic outlets, such as attending sports games, can also help increase the retention rates of schools and universities, in conjunction with the academic curriculum. School spirit is a great way to connect with other students and it helps the student body feel like one NSU. Lack of involvement and initiative often leads to disjunction and hard feelings among the students and their peers.
This year, I noticed that people are crowding the bleachers at both the soccer field and the competition swimming pool. In fact, a lot of athletes from other sports teams have been attending games to support their fellow athletes — and it’s not just one or two players. The whole team comes out to show support. With more athletes showing up at the games, it has been noticeable that a lot more people are stopping by and checking out the games.
Finatics, the official spirit crew at NSU, have done a great job getting the crowd going with their chants. Their members are always excited to show school pride and it rubs off on the rest of the crowd. Another organization that has made their presence known at sports games is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. They continue to support NSU athletics as much as they possibly can, with events like shark nights and pink out games, games that support breast cancer awareness.
With support coming from so many places, it is no wonder there has been a spike in Shark spirit. If NSU keeps this up, we will be known, not only for our academics, but also as the small school that is big on spirit.
Nathalie Moreau is a junior communication studies major. She is a residential senator for Undergraduate Student Government and a member of the Sharkettes.
