Junior year marks my third year of being a Rustler, and there is something seriously wrong. There is virtually no school spirit. School events lack an audience, and if there is a crowd, it perpetually lacks a pulse. This is not the CMR that I knew growing up.

My elementary school friends and I went to parades, basketball and football games, and other events because it was the thing to do. The high school students who we looked up to bled green and gold. The pep band brought energy and a sense of pride to the football field, and cheerleaders led chants that inspired wins on the court. Most importantly, everyone was on their feet for our fight song, simply known as “Mag 7.”

Today, if a student were to show the level of excitement that brought CMR to life just a few years ago, they would be seen as annoying or obnoxious. The sense of pride in our school has hit rock bottom, and we need change.

I was embarrassed by our most recent “pep” assembly. While the acts and theme of the assembly were unentertaining and disorganized, they weren’t the problem. The lack of engagement shown by the audience was disturbing. There is no excuse to not clap for the cheerleaders, who practice and work hard to put on an exciting show each time. There is never an appropriate time to talk during the National Anthem, or make fun of the JROTC presenting the colors. There is no reason to have an assembly if students are only going to stay seated and stare at their phones. It certainly doesn’t help that many teachers are just as unenthused as the students. Some of them don’t even attend the assemblies. 

I will admit that I rarely show huge amounts of pride in CMR, but I blame that on the environment. Students would be more willing to be involved with school activities if their classmates also took initiative to show pride. The student government leaders are doing what they can to spark spirit by sponsoring theme days and games, but it truly falls to the student body and school staff to bring back the spirit that CMR once had.