School spirit is a goal which every group seems to strive for, from administration to student government to student groups like Marshall Mob.
The Marshall Mob brings together students to make us a community, but a small handful of students have caused disruptions for administration and opposing teams.
Last March, the #PlayFairNow movement emerged from the alleged racially motivated abuse of Wakefield athletes by the Statesmen football team. Play Fair is no longer not just a “Marshall thing,” but has become a push against harassment and racial intolerance in athletic settings.
For members of the Marshall Mob to continuously chant Play Fair while black athletes shoot free throws makes a mockery and joke of the main goal of the Play Fair Now.
When the Mob crosses the line, as it did in this case and has on other occasions, students across all grade levels start to feel alienated, reducing participation and attendance at games.
Administration is also forced to respond, as we have seen through new policies which hurt the student experience at games. Arguably most importantly, our school gains a reputation throughout the area, and not the reputation we want.
If we as Statesmen are trying to put the allegations last March behind us, it would be in our best interest not to bring continuous attention to the event by making a mockery of it. The mocking also doesn’t project innocence or racial sensitivity from the Marshall students whatsoever.
Participation and interest are good across the board. They bring our school together, help fund our athletic programs through ticket sales and boost our teams on the court or field.
Although high turnout and school spirit school should always be a goal for both staff and students, when the line is crossed, the repercussions can rock our school harder than low interest.