BROTHER RICE
VOLUME 55, ISSUE 4
Chieftain
DECEMBER 2015
We’ve Got Spirit (Don’t We?)
An inside look
at the decline
of school spirit
By Jack Fitzpatrick and Kordell Smith
Chieftain Staff
Here at Brother Rice, we have a winning tradition and strong school spirit.
But is it on the decline?
While the “Goon Squad,” our student
cheering section, went to most of the
football games this year, there seemed to
be a noticeable decline, especially in the
number of underclassman in the crowd.
What happened to the spirit that, no
matter what was going on Friday night,
you were going to the football game? Our
alumni might wonder, what happened
to the marching band? What happened
to the Marian cheerleaders (“The Rouserettes”)?
Sadly, we don’t even use the mascot
much anymore. People used to come to
games for soccer, hockey, lacrosse and
just about every sport possible. Where
did all of this spirit go?
It may have gone away because high
school sports just don’t have that allure
anymore. People would rather attend a
party instead of being under the Friday
night lights. The eye test of student sections suggests we are lacking in school
spirit, especially compared to what our
turnout used to be and compared to other
Catholic League schools.
Catholic Central has a student section
almost every single game, every single
sport – not just football, basketball and
See SPIRIT on Page 2
B ROTHE R R I C E H I G H S C HO O L C H I E F TA I N
Did the Goon Sqaud overstep its boundaries at a hockey game in November?
Goon Squad may wear out its welcome
The Brother Rice student section at athletic events, better known as the “Goon
Squad,” likes to think of itself as one of
the most potent high school student sections in the state. Unfortunately, from an
outsider’s perspective, it also has been
viewed as one of the more disrespectful and rambunctious group of students
there could possibly be. This can fuel
EDITORIAL
more craziness or we can look at it as a
threat and a call to be better.
This editorial and the feature article of
this edition of the Chieftain were sparked
by a Goon Squad incident at the Nov.
PAGE 1
21 hockey game vs. Livonia-Stevenson,
whom Rice beat in the State Finals last
year. This year’s game was a hard-fought
battle on the ice, but it also was rough in
the bleachers. After the first goal scored
by Rice, members of the Goon Squad ran
into the Stevenson student section, followed by some negative jeers.
When Rice scored the game-winning
goal late in the third period, a majority of the Goon Squad did what they
called a “victory lap” around the arena
and behind the benches. It was a classless gesture, which culminated in them
being kicked out of the arena and a fury
of complaints from the Stevenson crowd
and team.
After the game, a Stevenson parent
confronted a Rice faculty member,
See PSA on Page 2
D E C E M B E R 2015