After a year severely lacking in connection and school spirit, students are looking forward to the upcoming Winter Formal. Set in the beautiful outdoor venue of the Carlsbad Flower Fields, the Winter Formal will be an exceptional opportunity for Sage Creek Bobcats to once again come together to support their school and join in on the excitement.

The importance of connection has been in the spotlight during the past year. As high school students and teachers across the nation struggled alone in their room in front of a computer screen and school functions came to a screeching halt, school spirit at Sage Creek plummeted.

We often don’t realize how much we value something until it is taken away, and the pandemic brought to light what has already been scientifically proven: we are happier and more successful when we feel connected. A Harvard study by Shawn Achor, a Harvard graduate and best-selling author, shows a 70% correlation between happiness and perceived social support.

This in-depth study details that connection is at the root of finding joy and that joy often leads to success. Humans are inherently social and we are happiest when we feel surrounded by a supportive community.

Similarly, a study conducted by sports equipment company Varsity Brands shows that school spirit is directly correlated with student academic success. According to the study, over 75% of students with higher levels of school spirit perform above average academically. The kids you see dressing up together for school spirit days and cheering the loudest for their sports teams tend to find more success in their classroom environment. They are also more likely to participate in a larger variety of activities outside of school such as sports teams and clubs.

This surprisingly notable association between school spirit and academics is only the beginning. The same study went on to say that 91% of those with a great deal of school spirit are more confident, 90% are more likely to be leaders, 88% are happier, 87% are more active in their communities and 73% are more fulfilled.

School spirit is connection. It’s the relationships students create with their peers and teachers that allow them to feel appreciated and supported. It’s the sense of pride they feel wearing their school colors and cheering for their school at sporting events. It’s the feeling of belonging as well as the responsibility that comes with being a part of something larger than their personal circle. To Principal Jesse Schuveiller, spirit is an important part of the atmosphere at Sage Creek.

“To me, school spirit suggests a sense of pride, ownership and a feeling of being connected to the school community,” Schuveiller said. “Our Bobcats deserve to be a part of a school community where they feel welcome, safe, connected and valued.”

If you’ve ever been to a school dance or sporting event, you know the thrill of cheering for your home team or getting dressed up with your friends. School events, like the upcoming Winter Formal, play an essential role in establishing excitement and connection within our community.

“Dances and other school functions provide the opportunity for students to showcase their pride, to establish community with each other and to feel connected to a common school activity,” Schuveiller said. “Not being able to host our full complement of school activities due to state, county and district regulations was challenging to navigate and certainly disappointing for many of our students and families.”

Senior Kiaya Rowlett was among those who missed the opportunity to dress up, have a good night with friends and make new ones.

“The lack of school dances last year made it so lots of people were less social and school spirit was really low,” Rowlett said. “Dances help promote the Sage community: you get to bond with friends and meet new people.”

Members of the Associated Student Body (ASB) at Sage Creek are excited to be able to host a school dance again and see the school come together to celebrate. ASB advisor Valerie Tapia hopes the upcoming Winter Formal will be a night to remember.

“After almost two years since being able to plan and host an actual event, we hope that … everybody loves it and wants to attend the next dance or the next event,” Tapia said. “I also hope that it reminds students how lucky we are to be able to host these events.”

Many students on campus are also looking forward to the upcoming Winter Formal with excitement.

“I think it’ll be a lot of fun to be back at dances and it’ll be nice to experience them with my friends,” junior Malia Leupold said.

I would never have anticipated how much I missed going to school dances and other school functions with my friends and classmates. Most people don’t know the exact science behind how school spirit impacts your overall happiness and academic success, but we feel the significance of connection every time a friendly smile brightens our day or we turn to someone we trust for a shoulder to cry on. The Winter Formal will hopefully be one of many school functions this year so we can continue to come together and build invaluable bonds within our community.