Student council seems desperate. Tiger tours, free stuff no one wants, the new “earn your stripes” initiative: they are trying to combat the negative attendance trend that has been affecting EHS over the past few years.

I’ve been to a few football games as a high school student, and I was sufficiently underwhelmed. It just really wasn’t my type of social setting. However, I enjoy supporting our sports here. We’re a successful school, and the competitiveness can be fun at the game, not just on Twitter.

Personally, I like going to sports events with friends, even if it’s not my favorite thing in the world. The atmosphere is fun, competitive and inviting. But, our school mindset is why should we? Sports here are successful; they don’t need us to cheer them on. But, that’s not true. A cheering section or even just a few friends sitting in the stage can be the difference for the athletes representing our school.

I don’t want to lecture. I understand that high school sport games aren’t for everyone. I’ve been to three football games, I’ve never “packed the barn” for hockey and I’ve only attended soccer games to cover them for the school newspaper. But, as as school, we need to step up our pride and attendance. In the face of the other schools in the area, we need to show them that they should want to be from here and why we love going to EHS.

Seeing Collinsville, O’Fallon or Belleville cheer on their team in our stands should want us to step up our Orange Rush game. Higher attendance at any event would secure our position as a powerhouse in the area. Even if you’ve never been, cheering on the girls basketball team or boys swimmers is a fun Friday night activity that will strengthen your individual school pride.

While popular sports including boys soccer and football haven’t seen as much of a decline, the girls sports, which can be playing than their male counterpart, are lacking Orange Rush’s cheers. Get out to those games. As a school, we need to continue to support football and other typical high school sports and push ourselves and our peers to show up at every game, whether it’s on the scoreboard or in the stands.