I want you to stop for one second and just do one thing for me.
I want you to close your eyes and think about any American high school. Many things could come to your mind, as a student or alumni, but there is really one unifying thing that nearly everyone thinks of when reflecting on the American high school experience: Friday Night Lights.
Football is synonymous with America, American sports, and the American high school experience. There are countless references in pop culture, literature, and conversations surrounding our spirit of community.
In most places, Friday Night Lights begins at 7:00 in the evening when the whistle blows and the game kicks off. But why begin such an anticipated American tradition so late? Why save all of the spirit brought to the game for 7 in the evening? What would happen if the spirit and the hype for Friday Night Lights didn’t begin in the evening, but the second you stepped into school?
Well, that question is being answered by Severna Park High School.
Every Friday morning, right outside the main entrance, is when the spirit begins. Lined up and down the walkway to the front door, you’ll see the band in its entirety, along with the color guard, playing the students in and setting the atmosphere. You have the cheerleaders and football players greeting everyone as they walk in. It’s a full affair, with every person involved in Friday Night Lights there to get you hyped for the school day and, most importantly, the game afterward.
Not only is this the perfect opportunity for students to get excited about their school, but it’s also a chance to get everyone involved and ready for the game. As the marching band’s drum major, Owen Cress, put it, “It’s not just the people in the stands, it’s the people in the band.”
This couldn’t be more true. These mornings bring everyone together—everyone in the stands, everyone on the field. They are all there in the mornings, with the band playing, the color guard members swinging their flags, and the football and cheer teams greeting the students. It fosters a sense of pride for Severna Park. It creates an atmosphere where the importance of the game isn’t just about winning or losing; it’s about putting the best foot forward for the entire SPHS community.
Spirit Fridays are good for everyone because they increase the interest and notoriety of every club and aspect of life at Severna Park. This is not a case where all the focus and spirit go toward the football team; other teams get their recognition, too. Owen made this very point when he told me, “Now people know who is in the band,” and this applies to the other groups like cheer and color guard.
This morning tradition creates an environment where band members are not just the column next to the student section playing music during the game, and it’s not just the cheerleaders in front of the student section. Other groups are getting the recognition they deserve from this, and it carries over to the game and to school, building engagement and connection between their sport and the community. Their pivotal role cannot be underestimated, as this new initiative lays the foundation for a hyped and excited student section come kickoff.
As exciting as the “morning walk” has been, it is not the only initiative Severna Park is implementing to engage students and the community. SkillsUSA is beginning a new program called Friday Night Lights. Friday Night Lights is a place where students can hang out with their friends after school, play games, and enjoy other activities. This initiative mimics a traditional “tailgate party” before the game.
Friday Night Lights takes the excitement of the school day and carries it into the afternoon ahead of kickoff. As sophomore Micheal Pastine, SkillsUSA president, put it, “This brings excitement to the game. If they’re out there having fun before the game, they will go in hyped and ready to watch the game.”
It’s not just the high schoolers who have a chance to get involved and excited for the game; Friday Night Lights is open to middle schoolers and the rest of the community, as well. As SPHS senior Kush Darva noted, “Middle schoolers are excited to come to games more because they feel like they belong.”
While this is still a new tradition, it is one that Kush, Michael, and the rest of SkillsUSA see becoming a long-standing one. This initiative drives the surrounding community to participate in the games, gives current high school students a chance to build connections, and allows middle schoolers to understand what it’s like being in high school and experiencing the spirit that comes with it.
This inclusion of middle schoolers and others not only helps them, but it also helps Severna Park High School. In an environment where you aren’t involving the younger students in your school’s activities, as Kush put it, “Your spirit leaves when your seniors leave.” With Friday Night Lights, Severna Park is engaging younger students and creating future Falcons who will carry on the spirit and bring their own excitement to the games.
There is so much that Severna Park is doing to engage its community and students in spirit and build excitement. But what is the outcome? It’s plain and simple: the excitement builds from the beginning of the day, students stay after school, and this culminates with larger, more excited crowds and, most importantly, an engaging football game.
Friday night football games have been a tradition in America for decades, but Severna Park is enhancing it by creating a better environment for the students, the community, and the teams involved. So with that being said, I hope to see you at the game next Friday.
Will Andrione
Student Reporter Intern, Severna Park High School
