At 3:00 PM on Friday, September 6th, students rubbed their eyes and dragged themselves out of their last Open House class, and the school came alive. As athletes prepared themselves for games later in the afternoon, the auditorium filled with students and their families to support an array of middle and high school musicians. From the most experienced, advanced high school orchestra, to sixth graders just getting used to holding their instruments, spirits remained high and applause stayed loud.

Friday Night Lights has been a tradition of American high schools, a culture framed by YA realistic fiction novels, cheerleaders, and house parties. In an international school that prides itself on its diverse student body, it is interesting how we hold school spirit. Having a mascot, boosters, and spirit assemblies are reminiscent of American teen movies the likes of Bring It On and High School Musical. Watching rugby on the field, under the glaring stadium lights, one could forget they were even in China.

At the same time, Americans don’t have a monopoly on having school spirit. Seeing the girls’ JV volleyball team spike a winning ball over the net, after an hour of nail-biting competition, would bring any SAS student to their feet. The track was crowded with students, faculty, and parents, rooting for our teams late into the evening. The victories of our sports teams were victories for the entire school, and every one was met with shouts of joy. 

Although not all our teams experienced triumph, they were able to pick themselves back up and shake their opponents’ hands. Every athlete demonstrated good sportsmanship, respect, and perseverance throughout their matches. 

While Friday Night Lights originated in the US, students from all backgrounds stayed after the bell to cheer on our school. We were different, but united by spirit.

The results of the games are as follows:

JV Boys Volleyball vs. CISS – Loss (1-2)

JV Boys Rugby vs. SAS PX JV – Loss

Varsity Girls Rugby vs. SAS PX Varsity/JV – Win

JV Girls Volleyball vs. CISS – Win (2-1)

Varsity Boys Rugby vs. SAS PX Varsity – Loss (0-5)

Varsity Girls Rugby vs. SAS PX – Loss

Varsity Boys Rugby vs. SAS PX – Tie (0-0)