“Friday Night Lights” is a common term used to describe high school football games, and at Spring-Ford – like other parts of the country – it is a big event for the town.
Throughout the day, plans are discussed about the upcoming night. Discussions storm 10-12 Center halls, like “who is going with who?” and “how are we getting there?”
The big question, though, is “What are we wearing?”
The lights reflect on the Student Section with the slight breeze running through the stands, only accentuating the excitement of the game. Multiple grades in the district in this sea of fandom are all unified with one theme.
This is the Student Section.
“I feel as if we are unionized, despite the cliques there usually are,” senior Barcley Trotter said.
During a football game, the Student Section is assigned a themed dress code for the night. In response, the bleachers are all filled with either black, white, blue, gold, etc. Ultimately, the Student Section influences and affects each other, the football players, and the game itself.
Trotter describes the scene as “cohesive,” claiming that as a recurring member of the Student Section and active participant in school pride, she feels closer to her peers. As Spring-Ford is a large school district, the tendency to form cliques is higher, as opposed to a smaller district. However, Trotter explains how she feels a sense of belonging when each clique is repping the same theme.
Additionally, the Student Section makes or breaks the football game itself. Football player Keith Grant, a junior, agrees that the atmosphere is altered depending on the Student Section.
A lot of thought goes into the fashion decisions each week.
“The theme is chosen between the other people who run it, and they try to get what everyone would prefer to wear,” student council member Kristina Cirino said. “Sometimes we stay in tradition and wear stuff like blackout and whiteout, while other times we wear country or neon or things like that.”
Cirino emphasized the purpose of each carefully selected theme.
“The Student Section ultimately gets people to the games and allows people to stay engaged,” she said.
