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School spirit surges after students lead basketball pep rallies

School spirit surges after students lead basketball pep rallies
Game analysts talk things over during a break in the back-to-back basketball games Friday, Feb. 13.
Riley Klein

With the introduction of winter sports a new appreciation for school spirit entered Housatonic’s halls. Led by a few students keen on improving student involvement, student sections have grown immensely in both size and spirit compared to former years.

Before the school’s rivalry basketball games against Lakeview High School, seniors Silas Tripp and Chris Crane worked with the Student Government Association to plan a pep rally in order to get students excited and increase game attendance. Athletic director Anne McNeil expressed support for their efforts. “I can’t thank Chris and Silas enough,” MacNeil said.

“I am at almost every home sport event and even travel to some away basketball games,” Crane said. He said in general student attendance at games “had strong participation with people going more all out than ever before.”

Girls Basketball captain Maddy Johnson believes the players have also influenced this positive change. “We have a higher spirit than other teams, we really push ourselves,” she said.

With such strong leadership exhibited from seniors, many fans worry about the sparse underclassmen involvement. MacNeil said she hopes the momentum started by Crane and Tripp carries forward in the coming years. “I hope that they’ve started something really really good.”

Hannah Johnson
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A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

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Left to right: Hannah Wheeler, Matin Malikzada and Yonah Sadeh.

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