Eden Santos

Football games ignite spirit on our campus like a match. The first spark that sets alight hours of standing in the student section starts at the basics: which of your friends are going? Nobody wants to be alone at a football game; they’re some of the most major social events of the year.
But why don’t some people go to PHS football games? We certainly have enough of a student body to fill up the stands. Then again people could just be busy; they could have prior commitments; they could be hanging out with friends someplace else. Sometimes though they’re still in the stands— just not the stands of a Poway game.
The direct problem of the matter is that we usually lose more students than we gain when schools like Del Norte, San Marcos or Carlsbad take the fields at their own home games during the weeks we have ours, largely because of the game’s theme.
For example, some went to the Scripps Ranch v. Murrieta’s neon-themed game, or Del Norte’s U.S.A. game. Beyond the themes, many go to Carlsbad just to have the feel for a notably unhinged student section.
This is a continuous problem, as many don’t feel spirited when the spirit is repeated using the same themes. Fun themes like Barbie, or Beach Party, or even Pirates of the Caribbean can draw larger crowds. It’s not district policy to restrict the majority of themes, or say that you can only enact a limited few.
This year Poway has shifted to a greater emphasis on “Green Out” instead of our more varied themes, mainly because of the need for a more cohesive look to our student section. This way, Poway has unanimous participation and collective class spirit.
But why not have both? Themes like Western Green-Outs, Intergalactic Green-Outs, or even Neon Green-Outs could be fun, given the right creativity.
Understanding the need for Green is the first step. Unifying the student body to make everyone feel included and a part of something bigger than just themselves is an important job, one that many put a lot of heart and effort into.
No matter the game theme, students should make the most of their time to go green or go home!