When a student’s eyes sweep across the halls of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, it’s evident that a lack of school spirit is ever present.

“People just aren’t excited about our school,” junior Jaime Timsit said. “We don’t really advertise it either.”

The only people who seem to wear the DPMHS shirts are staff members. Students don’t have the same amount of pride as the faculty and teachers. It seems that most students at DPMHS represent Birmingham Community Charter High School more than DPMHS.

“We’re such a small school, it’s hard to find a sense of unity,” freshman Astrid Cabrera said. “It’s so much easier to notice our differences.”

School spirit in bigger schools is omnipresent. At Birmingham Community Charter High School, the halls are flooded with nearly 4,000 kids a day, many who proudly wear their school shirt and participate actively in spirit week. Students that attend DPMHS have more school spirit for Birmingham than their own school.

Academic pressure meters read alarmingly high to adolescents who are constantly being pushed into getting the best grades they can so they can pursue a higher education. Coupled with all the pressures outside of a school environment, many students are apathetic to the idea of school spirit. A lack of spirit regarding the school houses has even started to surface. About two or three years ago, many sudents used to be excited about the house games and house awards. Over the years, it’s slowly been forgotten. houses used to be something students are

“The houses are kind of pointless because we don’t really do anything,” senior Lorenzo Escobar said.     

Even spirit weeks with themes that are appealing to the students, like Twin Day or Pajama Day, result in a low rate of enthusiasm throughout the school. A majority of students just aren’t interested.

“Some kids find some of the spirit days a bit dumb when they’re supposed to be fun,” senior Pedro Morataya said.

The pressure to get good grades weigh students down and, despite the reminders for spirit week hanging in the halls, it isn’t a priority in many students’ minds. It becomes even less important to them when students don’t like the theme.

The absence of school spirit surrounds the students at DPMHS. To add more spirit to the school, enthusiasm can be drawn out of students by having games or competitions during spirit week at lunch. School spirit is important in unifying the student body and creating a more positive environment that surrounds the school.