We. Are. Nease
By Emily Fleming
The transition from middle to high school can be tough, however, Nease has many extracurricular activities that can help take away the stress of freshman year. Being involved at Nease is important as Nease has heaps of school spirit. From football games to spirit weeks, to pep rallies, school spirit is everywhere you look.
One of the biggest places students display their school spirit is at football games. Every year, a few seniors are chosen to be “student section leaders.” These leaders start the cheers, do the t-shirt toss, hype the fans up, and dress all out for every theme. In an interview with senior Victoria Lenoir, she discussed what school spirit means to her, “School spirit means coming together to support the players, teams, and groups that all play a huge role in not only our school, but our community.” School spirit is not just cheering on for your fellow panthers, but it is also showing pride in your school. Describing his pride in his school, student section leader Evan Miriello says, “Being student section leader introduced me to new people and showed me how much people actually care about what it means to be a panther.” Cheering at the football games is an essential part of what it means to be a panther, not only because it supports our team, but it opens new opportunities to make friends and feel connected to our community.
Another way, panther students show school pride is by participating in the many spirit weeks. The biggest one is “shark week.” This is the week leading up to the Ponte Vedra vs. Nease football game. This rivalry has been ongoing since 2008 when Ponte Vedra opened their school. On this week, students and teachers go all out to participate in the theme every day. Some examples of themes last year: Anything but a backpack, dynamic duo, Greek life vs Ancient Greek, and of course, white out. When discussing what shark week meant to her, sophomore Ava Fleming says, “Shark week was one of my favorite things to be a part of as a freshman, it really brought together our whole school and was a really fun week.” Shark week is one of the many ways students can demonstrate their pride in Nease.
Pep rallies are also a huge part of the spirit at Nease. In the mornings before home football games, the dance team, cheer team, band, and football players display their school spirit by coming together to dance and sing. Additionally, Nease Athletic Council hosts teacher versus student pickleball tournaments and basketball games in the gym. Students are excused from class with the purchase of a wristband and can come cheer on their favorite staff members as they compete against fellow panther students. Last year, eight members from each winter sport competed in a volleyball tournament. Additionally, this past year, student-athletes from the athletic council paired up with a teacher in a pickleball tournament. Events like these get students riled up and filled with school spirit in hope that when they are upperclassmen, they too will be able to play in these games.
School spirit at Nease is a vital part of life, even after high school. When interviewing 2023 Nease Alumni Payton Southall, she said “My favorite part of high school was how everyone would dress for the themes for every game, even away ones”, which shows just how strong school spirit is here at Nease. Showing school spirit at Nease can have more of an impact on freshman year than you may think. Whether it is cheering on your favorite team, or being a part of a team, being involved in Nease can separate a fun and enjoyable freshman year from a stressful and boring one.
