When we were freshmen, Dreyfoos seemed less like a school and more like the set of a movie. It was as if we truly were transported to “Victorious’” Hollywood Arts High School or “High School Musical’s” East High, and that every day held the potential for the adventure of a lifetime, complete with a spontaneous musical number by lunchtime, choreographed by Zac Efron himself.
But now, as upperclassmen, we have noticed a shift in our campus’s school spirit, or the sense of enthusiasm and pride that students feel towards the school community. While it’s true that time often jades us, this change feels more significant than any that could come about from maturity. The truth is, our Dreyfoos Magic is fading. In a 15 to 4 vote, the editorial board believes that school spirit has significantly decreased in recent years and, by extension, has impacted the atmosphere on campus.
However, the school itself isn’t the problem. In fact, students overwhelmingly indicated a love for our school community, as shown in a casual survey conducted by The Muse, where 71.4% of students indicated that they perceive their school environment positively and 70.5% agreed with the statement that they perceive their teachers positively.
Despite this, weakened school spirit still persists and was especially noticeable during last year’s Spirit Week. During the five days before Spring Break, each grade level fights tooth and nail for the chance to win a series of competitions, including dance routines, musical performances, and pep-rally games, all in hopes of winning the DSOA Spirit Stick and, arguably more important, bragging rights. It serves as a manifestation of student talent, competitiveness, and passion on campus, but interest in these activities among the student body has dwindled.
For example, for the student-teacher basketball game, characterized by an all-student team and an all-staff member team that compete against each other, there was a noticeable disinterest among students last year. By halftime, despite the game being a close call, the stands were relatively empty, which speaks to the larger truth that students do not have as much spirit as they used to.
Additionally, for this year’s Battle of the Bands competition, the class of 2027 student council was able to garner volunteers easily in past years, with students signing up to participate of their own volition. However, this year, class council members reported having struggled to find performers. In the end, it took a month to fill up the required spots.
As arts students, the fundamental reason why we are at our school in the first place is for the chance to develop our craft and grow as artists, and it’s that passion that fuels school spirit. Because of this, the effects of artistic and academic fatigue have taken a toll on our morale. According to a casual survey by The Muse, 65.7% of students responded that they feel more burned out this school year than in previous years. Our students’ burnout levels are well above the national average, which is estimated to be around 30% of high school students across the country, according to Science Insights, a scientific publication website.
This pervasive burnout is significantly eating away at students’ creativity, with 71.2% of students stating that burnout had affected their creative exploration, and 56.2% responding that they feel creatively drained during the average school week. Pressures build with our culture on campus to constantly succeed and perform at higher and higher levels. In fact, 42.5% of students stated that they agreed that the school emphasizes productivity over creative exploration. When the passion that defines our school, so does the magic of our everyday experiences here, leaving our students less enthusiastic about showing their school pride.
On a national scale, recent events have affected our students emotionally. From concerns over a potential for economic collapse, increasing environmental degradation, or growing uncertainties about artificial intelligence, external pressures like these can be devastating to students, leaving them anxious, depressed, and uncertain of their future. In the survey, 58.3% of students indicated that learning about national news events made them feel negatively, and 24.7% said that it made them feel less motivated. When the tragedies of our nation are so apparent and growing in urgency, it can feel impossible to find any passion or joy in everyday life, bleeding into our school spirit.
To reignite the spark of our Dreyfoos Magic, we need to start with the reason we continue to show up every day: the arts. If your spark needs to be reignited, take time to remember why you’re motivated by the arts in the first place, then challenge yourself to explore your art area in a way you haven’t before to bring back the pure exploration that creativity craves. Attending events for different art areas can also drive school spirit. Interaction between art areas is often the foundation for inspiration, so the creativity that surrounds us every day is the perfect place to start.
If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, there are numerous resources on campus that can help. If you need to talk to someone, our Behavioral Health Professional, Tawanna Pollock, is located in Building 1 and is available for scheduled meetings throughout the week.
When we talk about Dreyfoos Magic, it’s more than a late-night piano concert or an art gallery in Building 9. It’s the passion that drives us to create, to take risks, to fail and try again, and to explore the limits of our imaginations. We all remember the feeling of walking onto campus for the first time and feeling as though the sky was our only limit. That passion isn’t gone, our school spirit hasn’t vanished; it just needs to be uncovered.