PRIDE: Poly students rally to revive school spirit throughout the campus.
By Ashley Gore, Staff Writer
Many classrooms contain a PRIDE poster somewhere on their inspirational-picture-covered walls. The yawn-worthy poster features an acrostic poem that claims to represent the goals of students at Poly. Most likely written by an executive in a suit whose high school days lay far behind him, the acronym has little to no relevance to the typical teenager or staff member. The majority of students – and teachers – have no clue what the poster says, let alone what it means.
On Friday, October 4, Principal Michael Roe called student leaders of Poly to the Little Theater to take back their school, starting with a PRIDE makeover. The best part? He did not just invite ASB. From sports to Spotlight to everything in between, Roe made sure everyone at Poly had a voice. Consisting of over 100 passionate Poly Bears, the conference brought forth new ideas and opened the eyes of many students.
It may have taken a few hours of healthy debate, but the members of the meeting finally reached a decision as to what PRIDE stands for—literally and figuratively.
Instead of dubbing Poly students as “Proficient users of technology,” the new PRIDE acronym portrays the student body as one with “Passion.” The replacement of the old, boring acronym will help student leaders revive school spirit—the new acronym is just the tip of the iceberg.
Roe recently assembled the Pride Committee, a group of motivated students from many different clubs and teams at Poly. Associated Student Body President Kendall Morris (12) heads the charge with his leadership expertise and valuable experience. However, other leaders have also stepped into the spotlight and want to make their voices heard.
Olivia Cichocki-Bartlett’s (10) enthusiasm offers a fresh perspective, and her connection with Poly students helps the committee reach out to many unheard voices. Hannah Hyatt’s (12) creativity and forward thinking greatly contribute to the committee’s success. Wrestling captain and AVID president Kevin Fenn (12) and yearbook editor, Philip (Sammy) Hershkowitz (12), keep the group focused and on task. “It started with us—the Pride Committee—and it should never end,” said Cichocki-Bartlett.
Now that the Pride Committee has laid the foundation for Poly to “bleed orange and green,” the fate of this hallowed high school rests in the hands of every student who calls him or herself a Poly Bear. The days of idly standing by as tie-wearing executives run this school lay far behind Poly. The time for students to take charge has come.
The committee plans to release the new acronym on an upcoming Poly Pride Friday. “I hope that students gain a stronger sense of pride from this acronym and stronger love for Poly High School. It’s a school with a brilliant history, and we still do many great things. The school deserves much more love and pride than it gets,” said Cichocki-Bartlett.