Spartan fans cheer on their peers to victory. photo by Sasha Mesropov
TJ introduces a new club to uplift Spartan spirit.
As a brand new school year arrived, students were filled with excitement about the upcoming fall sports season, homecoming, and spirit week. Thomas Jefferson High School recently introduced a new club called Legion, one of the main driving forces behind school-wide sports and spirit events.
Legion is an organization established to boost spirit throughout the Spartan community. CCT Pro Tech and Activities coordinator Sara Andolsek, recently created Legion. “The purpose of this club is to develop more school pride and provide a larger support system for students’ classmates and teammates,” Andolsek explained. “I want the students to form an overall positive atmosphere.”
Members of the club attend pep rallies, cheer at sporting events, and put in effort to spread positive vibes throughout the building. In order to join Legion, students must pay a $5 fee, and will then receive a gold Legion t-shirt. Once students become a part of the group, they are automatically entered to participate in games and prize giveaways during halftime.
Legion started their mission by attending the first football game of the season against John F. Kennedy High School, at All City Field. Before kickoff, staff, students and the TJ cheer team formed a tunnel for the football team to run through as they entered the field. Throughout the night, the student section chanted out traditional TJ cheers to get the entire crowd pumped up. Junior Brooke Moore mentioned, “Being a new transfer at TJ, becoming a part of Legion has allowed me to gain an experience like no other. The first football game was really fun and created a great bond between everyone. It felt like we were one huge family.”
The club has altered the way that the student section is being perceived. Themes have been recently added tradition to our student section at sporting events. Students are being informed of these themes through social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and TJ’s very own daily television show, The Spartan Edition. So far this year, students have participated in a “White Out” in which everyone wears white, and a “Gold Rush,” in which everyone wears gold for the football games. In the first volleyball home game, students were encouraged to take part in a “Black Out,” where everyone wore black. For future games, players have planned to take on themes, including Safari, Hawaiian, and others. The spirit club has visibly improved the unification of TJ’s student body.
A couple of individuals who are affiliated with Legion have been very pleased with the results. Junior Jovana Bjelanovic said, “I’ve noticed a positive change that Legion has made. More people are coming to support and cheer at games so I think they really have uplifted many students and athletes.” Principal Suzanne Morris-Sherer stated, “The work that Legion is doing is great. It’s unifying students as well as teachers and invigorating everyone’s spirit.” Andolsek and the students have formed plenty of goals and aspirations for this year. Many students agree: Legion is affecting the school in a powerful way, and the group hopes to continue creating big changes within the Spartan community.
