By Marlee Berlin
With school back in session, many MP students, although focused on their education, look to extracurriculars to fire them up and fuel their school spirit. The most prevalent of the activities, sports, and clubs, is obvious: MP Football.
The exhilaration one experiences cheering for the Mary Persons football team as they rush down the field is a feeling only experienced in “The Pitt,” our beloved name for the football stadium at the center of Forsyth’s community and small-town charm.
As the lights flash and the band roars with victory, an aroma of competitive school spirit fills the hearts of all who watch and participate. However, this spirit and organization does not come without hard work. There are many people and organizations that work tirelessly behind the scenes in order to pull off a home game in the Pitt.
The new technology and film class taught and run by Mrs. Weis is a great asset to the atmosphere of Friday Night Lights. She organizes, develops, and executes many of the wonderful images and videos displayed on the brand-new megatron screen seen in the Dan Pitts Stadium. It brings a magical and spirited aroma to the stadium, making it feel like a top-notch production.
Student section leader and senior, Libby Holloway, paints a new spirit banner each week to hang in front of the student section. And parent volunteers set up and run the concession stands in order to fundraise for the Bulldog Brigade Band.
One group from this team of working machines are the Game Day Spirit Mary Persons cheerleaders. While so many teams have switched over to reusable vinyl signs with velcro, the cheerleaders proudly stick to their tradition of designing and painting their own.
Themes and designs for these signs are kept secret; both fans and students look forward to the Friday night reveal each week.
Addie Vance, a junior cheerleader at MP, adds on by stating, “After long and tiring practices every Thursday to prepare for the games, we travel to the freshman gym to tape the signs to the poles that provide the structure needed so the boys can run through at the sound of the band, signifying the start of the game.”
Junior cheerleader Marlee Berlin comments, “The run-through sign we have for Homecoming is probably my favorite! It’s also on par with the “under construction” theme that the student section has for that evening.”
The tasks and multitude of moving parts that go into preparing for the MP football games each Friday to make them magical experiences everyone is able to enjoy are often laborious. Although the cheer team is a pivotal part of this preparation and process, so many others deserve praise for their hard work and CHAMP dedication.
