Dear Readers,

     We’ve all seen the TikToks. Student sections packed with fans in their school colors, chanting until their voices give out. But take a look around the bleachers at almost any sporting event at Shorecrest — the stands are half-empty, no enthusiastic chants can be heard, no band is playing the school fight song. 

    This doesn’t just go for sports, though. Events like theater and band performances, College Counseling events and club outings are often devoid of student attendees, not because students don’t want to go, but because they can’t. Between academic pressure, extracurriculars, volunteering and a multitude of other responsibilities, Upper School students tend to feel like they have no time left for school spirit. So many of us are stretched too thin from balancing academics and extracurriculars on top of family and social lives that we would rather spend our little free time doing something other than attending sports games.

     First off, the academic workload and expectations at Shorecrest are undoubtedly higher than at the average school. Many students take several AP classes, most of which require hours of homework, notes and review each week. And here, even less difficult courses come with a workload not to be ignored. The reason many rising seniors choose to take AP English Literature and Composition is because they’re told that the alternatives, honors classes including Prison Narratives and Revisionist Fairy Tales, require the same amount of work. From just homework and studying alone, Shorecrest Upper Schoolers have less time to focus on other commitments.

     On top of classes, extracurricular activities demand significant time from students. While some small interest clubs only require occasional meetings, most require significant amounts of time, prompting some to choose between joining clubs and having free time. Additionally, many students strive to take leadership roles in clubs, which — coming from Chronicle editors — can feel like a part-time job. Many student-athletes also participate in several sports, leaving them little time to support at other events.

     The reason so many Shorecrest students feel pressured to take advanced classes and join various clubs is because of the consistently pushed message of “crafting your story.” After hearing this phrase from college counselors, teachers and parents since the first day of freshman year, many students feel like they need a four-page-long resume to get into a “good” college. Even though we are at a college preparatory school, students overload themselves with work to the point that they have no time for leisure.

     In addition to classes and clubs, students spend much of their time outside of school volunteering. While the Upper School does have a 100-hour community service requirement for graduation, “crafting your story” leads many to treat service as a constant obligation rather than an opportunity to do good.

     Peer influence also contributes to students skipping out on after-school events. Most teens have low motivation to attend things if their friends aren’t going. When no one goes to things, it seems like nobody cares, which further lowers attendance. Conversely, if students simply started coming to events, including performances and community gatherings, others would want to go as well, and attendance would surge.

     Consequently, school spirit seems to be constantly low. Empty bleachers make it seem to athletes like nobody notices them. Something about empty seats at a Friday night basketball game diminishes the high school experience. 

     There is little incentive for students to perform well when it seems like nobody wants to see their games. School spirit, when people are genuinely excited to support fellow Chargers, helps foster motivation and community. Without it, students feel less connected to their school, which may begin to seem like a place just for academics rather than growth and community.

    Shorecrest could help encourage students to attend events. Making things shorter so that students don’t feel like attending something wastes their entire night would help. So would offering some sort of incentive for attendance. If events were better promoted on social media, more students would get excited about them and want to go. However, the academic rigor of this school is not going away, and, consequently, neither are the crickets you can undoubtedly hear at a Tuesday 7 p.m. lacrosse game.

     Because of the pressures and demands put on Shorecrest students, many are not able to attend sports games, performances or other events. Being successful in both academics and extracurriculars doesn’t have to come at the cost of supporting our school, but when expectations and workloads are this high, we don’t have a choice but to leave the stands empty.

     The low turnout for events can be attributed to indifference, but in reality, it reflects overload. There’s no doubt that Shorecrest students care about their friends and community; they want to pack the bleachers and sell out performances, but with so much on their plates, something has to give, and attendance is no longer a choice. Until expectations shift to give students the time to be present, empty stands will continue to represent a lack of space in our schedules.

Sincerely,

Your Chronicle editors