To Boo or Not To Boo
The cheerleaders at the pep rally
Wall of posters for the football players, made by the cheerleaders
A longstanding tradition at Littleton High School has been to boo the freshmen during their cheer at pep rallies. While opposition to this tradition is nothing new, this week has seen some particular outrage in response
To boo or not to boo...that is the question. On the morning of Thursday, October the 11th, signs were placed around the school urging “Don’t boo the freshmen.” They encouraged students to denounce the booing of the freshmen and to make them feel more welcome by boycotting the pep rally or by cheering instead of booing. Many students were outraged and tore down or defaced signs. Some students changed “Don’t” to “do” to indicate their support of the booing. By C mod, not a single sign was to be found in the halls. Rumors about suspensions, punishments, and cancelling the pep rally circulated throughout the school. Some students became concerned that if they participated in the long-held tradition, they would be suspended, while others told them that suspending the entire school was impossible.
Everyone had an opinion on the issue. I asked 14 students to provide a statement on the topic. The results and opinions are explained below:
An overwhelming amount of students neglected the feelings of those who expressed discomfort and opposition to the booing. A sophomore girl argued that “In my opinion, it’s pointless drama; if a freshman doesn’t want to get booed, they can go sit in their advisory.” Another said, “I feel that being ‘booed’ is a right of passage.”
Almost every one of the students I talked to mentioned tradition. One freshman told me, “I understand why teachers and a few students are upset by this issue, but personally, it hasn’t affected me and seems to be a tradition here at the high school.” A sophomore reasoned, “Well I think it’s stupid, like we were booed, and so were the previous grades. Why make a change now? Plus, they’re expecting it." The students conveyed that when the freshmen become upperclassmen, they will get to boo the new freshmen and will have earned this right by being booed themselves.
Some students pointed out that the booing is not intended to be mean and is more of a joke than anything else. A freshman told me that she thinks, “It [the booing] is meant to be a joke.” A sophomore told me that in his opinion, “there is no hatred towards the freshmen class in any way, shape or form.”
A few students claims the booing should stop, but all of the students who mentioned punishment said that no one should be punished for upholding a tradition and that the punishments they have heard rumors of are “a little extreme.” One junior explained that she didn’t like the booing, “but I also don't think that the administration is going about this the right way. Talking to the students, explaining why this needs to stop and genuinely listening to their concerns is something that should have happened.”
A lot of students contended that the issue has been blown out of proportion. A junior stated that the whole ordeal is “WAY more intense than it needs to be.”
One student noted the irony in that the issue is “bringing the whole school together.” Another student questioned why the school hadn’t “stopped the booing the freshmen ordeal a long time ago, as this is not the first year this has occurred.”
I also talked to the student who put the posters up, which had been stamped and approved by the office. She articulated, “I feel like booing the freshmen is a serious problem. It's bullying. It's hazing. Last year, it made me incredibly uncomfortable, and I made a promise to myself to do something about it. However, I never meant for anyone to get suspended, or even to get detention. I think maybe it's been taken a little too far. All I wanted to do was to make a statement--not cause a riot.”
I talked to Dr. Harrington about the issue, and he voiced his main concern that several students pulled down signs that were supportive and promoted spirit and unity. He wants all students to feel welcomed and supported at the high school. “The insulting and intimidating behavior needs to stop,” he says and wonders, “Where do we draw the line?” He explained that he has no issue with booing; booing is a socially acceptable action at a sporting event or other public event. Yet, he fears that freshmen, who are new to the school, will not understand if the booing is meant to be a “jest,” instead they will be intimidated.
On Friday, students waited in anticipation for the pep rally’s events. Many joked that they would still boo the Freshmen despite the possible consequences.
In the end, the cheerleaders led the school in a “school-wide chant,” which was comprised of the cheerleaders chanting and the rest of the school sitting in silence and watching them. They refused to chant a second time. I think most of the school would agree that the pep rally was rather anticlimactic, especially after all of the rumors and excitement surrounding it.
Note: All students are being kept anonymous and some quotes have been edited for grammatical reasons and brevity. The opinions and views stated in this article do not directly reflect those of the author and LHPress.