I have been working in the student council for two years now, going into my third. Throughout the years I have seen a lot of change. Some change has been for the better and some for the worse. There is, however, one thing I see that we lack: Spirit.
First and foremost, I want all of the students to know that I am in this particular position to represent them. I am here to voice their concerns, feelings and ideas. It is my job to make sure that every single student at Escalante High School feels seen and heard. I am their voice, and I am determined to make this the best possible environment not just for me, but also for them.
I’ve put a lot of thought into what spirit is, and I have come to find that spirit is the energy you bring to your environment. Let me say that again, spirit is the energy you bring to your environment.
Kobe Bryant’s “mamba mentality” is one thing I have based my student council experience on. In simple terms, it means do better each day. The Japanese proverb, “Nana korobi, ya oki” means “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” In not just student council, but life, you are going to fall down and fail so many times you lose count. What is important, though, is how you react and how you get up. Every. Single. Time.
The Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down Rating Exercise
I had my fellow peers do an exercise using a thumbs up or thumbs down to rate how our school spirit has been throughout the years. Some thumbs were down, some were in the middle, and some were standing tall.
But the thumb exercise was a trick question, because the spirit is you. If their thumb was down, I had them ask themselves a question: “What kind of energy have I been bringing to my environment? To my school?” That lack of spirit they were feeling wasn’t because of anyone else. It was because of their own personal outlook on our school and the energy that they were putting into their environment.
I did get a lot of thumbs centered in the middle and some even sticking straight up. Even though that was the case, there is still a lot of personal and group progress to be made — which is totally do-able!
A Fixed Vs. Growth Mindset
I continued by sharing that your environment should not determine how you show up!
Fun Fact: Your attitude is one of the only things in your life that is controlled and shaped by you, so have a good one!
If something isn’t going well for yourself, make it go well for someone else. Just because you are having a bad day doesn’t mean you have to bring everyone else around you down. I have challenged myself to be as kind as possible to those around me, not just in my school, but everywhere! The world needs a little more kindness, and it starts with us. Together we can bring more kindness and positive energy to our environment.
Understanding what a fixed and growth mindset is, is key to how you live your life. A fixed mindset is believing that you were either born with something, or born without it. A growth mindset is being willing to try, and understanding that you don’t have it yet.
Let me repeat that: You don’t have it yet. I would argue that yet is one of the most powerful words we can use. Using the word yet will change your outlook on everything, without you even realizing what you are doing!
“I can’t draw. Yet.”
“I don’t know how to do math. Yet.”
“We don’t have a strong sense of school spirit. Yet.”
Whenever you walk through the doors of Escalante High School, you walk into a land of yet. Because we are working hard to get where we want to go, we just aren’t there. Yet.
Achieving a Growth Mindset
A few things that can help you achieve a growth mindset are…
- being willing to participate. Whether that be in activities or by talking to someone new. It is so important to participate, especially in the school environment!
- never forgetting to have fun and be silly!
- realizing it’s okay to make mistakes, in the classroom, on the court, or even while just participating in an activity. We are all trying to figure it out, and not knowing is okay. It is just a matter of learning and doing better next time.
You Matter
Throughout life, sometimes I have felt invisible, like no one cared. Everyone deals with these kinds of thoughts. Because of this, I have always believed it was important that every single student, peer and teacher knew that they mattered. The energy each one of these people brings to our school is so important.
Don’t ever think for one second that you do not matter, because you do. Everybody in this school influences the culture; you influence the environment. You can either help enhance or destroy what we’re trying to build. That choice is up to you. This is an all or nothing kind of deal, and I believe that every single one of you has the potential to give it your all!
Adam Fletcher, a consultant focused on youth voice and student engagement said, “The work of meaningful student involvement is not easy or instantly rewarding. It demands that the system of schooling change, and that the attitudes of students, educators, and the community members change.”
We Need Your Help
The first step to building school spirit and culture in any space is becoming self aware, and asking yourself, “What can I do? What can I change about my attitude to make my school better?” Hold yourself to a higher degree, and take the extra step to make someone’s day. Give that extra ounce and watch everything else — not just in the school, but in your life — change.
Be the student, be the teacher, and be the person that makes everyone feel good no matter what.
We, your student council, cannot do it by ourselves. We need your help to bring our school spirit from thumbs down to thumbs up, and together I know that we can do it, because this is our school. This is our Moqui Ohana and no one can stop us — it’s just a matter of whether you stop yourself.
– by McKynlee Cottam (17) Escalante
Feature image caption: Welcome Back to Escalante High School! Your student body president has some improvements (as she should!). Courtesy McKynlee Cottam.
*This article is based on a speech by McKynlee Cottam, 2022 Student Body President at EHS.
McKynlee Cottam – Escalante
McKynlee Cottam is a junior writer, and sometimes editor, at The Byway. She is a senior at Escalante High School. This year she’s had the opportunity to be the school’s Student Body President and Miss Garfield’s Outstanding Teen. McKynlee loves to write about things that are going on in our county and world, as well as some fun out-of-hat pieces. She enjoys playing the violin, participating in basketball, and of course hanging out with her friends. The Byway has been a fun part of her life, and she hopes to keep contributing to it for some time!