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Do you have spirit?

Leanna Mari Guce and Sydney, both 15, show their school pride on “Walnut Wednesdays.” Photo by Vicky Chen, 15, Walnut HS

We have “Walnut Wednesdays” every week at my school. Everyone wears their Walnut sweatshirts, T-shirts and hats in our school colors, blue and gold. My friends and I wear our sweatshirts most weeks.
Sydney Ynzunza, 15, Walnut HS

On Fridays my school has purple and gold day when students are supposed to wear those colors. They used to give out gold and purple beaded necklaces at the front gate if you had those colors on. But my friends and I don’t do that. The only time I went all out was at the homecoming game. I wore purple pants and a shirt that had gold letters. It was the first game that I’d been to and I wanted to show more spirit for senior year since it’s my last year at Lynwood High.
Jacky Garcia, 18, Lynwood HS

I used to go to a performing arts school. Everyone had some type of school spirit. Most kids went to the musicals. The dance shows were amazing. On Thursdays the girls in the theater department wore fairy wings. Freshman year I was the only guy who wore wings because I loved the school.
Cristian Salas, 16, Equal Partnership HS (Long Beach)

I have a lot of school spirit. The day before winter break we were supposed to dress up all festive to show our school spirit. I wore a red short-sleeved sweater over a long-sleeved white shirt and a black skirt with white leggings and boots for the Mrs. Claus look. My other friends were wearing Christmas sweaters. At football games we’re always the loudest. I have a binder that says Cal, I use that and wear a Cal High sweater and blue and gold scarf. I love my school. It’s a really good school. I’m going to be sad when I leave it.
Mariah Duran, 16, California HS (Whittier)

Mariah, 16, gets decked out in her school colors to cheer on the sports teams.

Every week at my old school when Friday rolled around, the campus was full of spirit with people dressed head-to-toe in the color for their grade, even with spray-painted shoes. Each grade competed to be the most enthusiastic class. Dressing up made me feel like a part of the school. Even with all the strangers in my grade, it felt as if we were one big team. When I moved to a different school, I anticipated what their class competitions would be like. However, when that day came along, only a few of the 2,400 students were spirited. I missed seeing the whole school come together at lunch to do ridiculous games and rallies.
Erin Paik, 14, Palos Verdes Peninsula HS

I really feel like my school has a lot to be proud of. I show my Bear pride on spirit days, wearing blue and gold proudly and holding up my “W” as we sing our school song. I’m a member of ASB (Associated Student Body). I care a lot about what I do in ASB because I know that the school counts on us to organize and carry out events.
Esteban Garcia, 18, Warren HS (Downey)

It’s really awesome to go to a school that has a lot of filming. Movies like Pineapple Express and TV shows like Modern Family and Parenthood have been filmed at my school. Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner were there for the movie Valentine’s Day. It was fun being so close to famous people. I tell friends from other schools, “Guess who was at my school today?” Some of them get jealous.
Victor Beteta, 17, University HS

We have 4,000 people at our school so it’s difficult to feel school spirit. My friends and I go to the football games because we want to support the team, but we don’t get all decked out or anything. When Crescenta Valley High, our biggest rival, comes, people get louder, but that’s not saying much because there isn’t that much school spirit in the first place.
Yejean Kim, 17, Arcadia HS