A vital part to many high school students’ experience in high school is the student section. This is generally the most visible and vocal section of a sports crowd made up completely of students supporting one another. While many students only see the poster in the cafeteria and follow the allocated theme, unannounced to many is the effort that happens behind the scenes to make the group possible. 

Each year, members of the senior class join a group called, ‘Do Crew’ in order to coordinate the school spirit throughout the year and specifically lead the student section at sporting events. This year, the section has two captains, seniors Colin Bybee and Owen Mick. Captains ensure the student body is participating to the best of their ability by leading the section in various cheers and chants and by promoting the themes. 

“We make the signs for each student section and the sign in the cafeteria [with the season’s game themes],” Mick said. “Each student section theme for both football and basketball games is brainstormed and come up with [by us] and then they are approved by Brian Becker and finally become our student section themes.”

While there is an array of chants and cheers that are learned throughout the season, some of the most popular chants lead by Do Crew are the Spongebob kickoff chant, the I Believe chant performed at the start of the game and pep assemblies along with the Roller Coaster cheer. 

“Leading the student section is by far the most fun thing,” Mick said. “Getting everybody amped up with us is awesome.”

In preparation for each season, Do Crew meets in order to come up with themes for the student body. While themes first began with simple ideas such as colors, they have evolved to be much more complex with themes such as toga, ESPN and hawaiian.

“We took some [of the ideas] from past themes that we really liked but we really tried to get different ideas that we haven’t done in the past,” Mick said. “We felt like most of them, we just reuse every year. So we wanted to get different ones. We ended up stealing some theme ideas from different schools that we thought were good and we tried to merge some to come up with original ones.”

Additional themes include farm/country, white out and American. Students typically form outfits out of clothes they already have in their closets or from things purchased last minute around town such as at Walmart, Goodwill or the Et Cetera shop. Sometimes students will also decorate themselves in paint, in order to match the theme. If you are ever unsure on what to wear for a theme, Do Crew captains and participants are happy to answer questions and may even post ideas for outfits on their social media from time to time. 

“I’m looking forward to going to the games with all my friends and just trying to enjoy my last football season,” senior Adeline Tonn said. “I think the themes are really good this year, they are easy and it’s not a hassle to find things to wear. American night I think was [a great turn out] and is going to be the best turn out [of the season] just because a lot of people showed out and it was easy.”

Throughout the student section, there is a ranking order of which class sits where. Seniors are typically in the front row and will even lean up against the railing at football games, the juniors are in the next row or the bleachers behind them, next followed by the sophomores and freshmen. Do Crew ensures that no conflicts arise by enforcing this order often. 

“If you’re an underclassmen don’t be afraid to be loud and have fun but also make sure you’re respecting the upperclassmen,” Tonn said. “Be loud or go sit with your mom.”

The most important job for Do Crew is getting all students involved. Ensuring that everyone is having a good time and is being sportsmanlike at sporting events. This year, there has been additional effort to teach the cheers and chants to the underclassmen who may not know them in order for the student section to be one of the loudest again.

“Overall, high school is way better when you’re involved in activities, especially when you go out and support your friends that play sports,” Mick said. “It’s fun to get involved in what goes on at the high school and it’s fun to go out and be loud.”