Sporting Event Themes Bring Controversy, Complaints
Photo at the first football game of the year: theme was Hawaiian
Each high school game comes with a dress-up theme. Typically the theme of the game is posted late Monday or early Tuesday on the Twitter Gator page @AHSGators2018. The theme is based on a poll that the student vote on. The gators are the leaders of cheers and spirit at sporting events. The gators also are the main coordinator of the themes.
AHS senior Joel Shelp said, “I know that I am a football player, but I always find it interesting to see what the theme is for that week’s game.”
Shelp says he thinks the students shouldn’t have to agree on something because that is hard to do. He says the head Gators should just pick the theme.
The Gators are a group of people that are chosen by AHS teacher, Steve Mezler. They run of the fan pages for sporting events, and they also help guide the themes for the games. They also lead the chants at sporting events.
“There are so many kids that attend the football game and it is nearly impossible to please everyone. The Gators should just choose the theme so there isn’t any hurt feelings or fighting,” said Shelp.
Shelp says overall he doesn’t find the themes of the game that big of a deal. Some previous themes were blackout, gold out, jersey, red out, and Hawaiian.
“In all honesty, it is just a theme and way too much drama goes down from it. I think when people over react about it, it is just stupid,” Shelp said.
Senior AHS student Tessa DeQuardo has a different perspective.
“I like it best when we all get to choose a theme to wear. It gives everyone a chance to say what they want instead of just three people choosing for everyone. I know it can be hard to agree on something but it makes more sense when students have a say in the theme,” DeQuardo said.
Dequardo says there nine games in the season not including playoffs, so she feels like everyone should have a chance to get their idea out there for at least one game.
Dequardo says, “I like how the Twitter page has a poll so people can vote so it is more fair in a way. The person who runs the Twitter account, Amelia Holland, makes a poll out of the suggestions that people message her about and students take a vote.I bet a lot of people can agree. It sucks that they just recently started to do that though.”
DeQuardo says she is mostly satisfied with the weekly themes.
AHS head gator Amelia Holland says, “We try and make everything fair and we try to please everyone, but sometimes that can not always happen. We do our best and we hope that everyone understands they can not always get their way.”
