After alumni RJ Mendoza and Harrison Merrill graduated, there were questions surrounding what was going to happen at Salem sports games. Who was going to cheer and electrify the crowd to support student-athletes? Those questions have been answered with the new and improved Salem Student Section.
“As an athlete, it is very important to have the support of my school while competing,” said senior Jada Arthur. “It makes me and my teammates feel loved and recognized, so I think that every sports team should have that type of support.”
Arthur was spotted at multiple different volleyball games, creating a ruckus, shaking bleachers, and ultimately having an amazing time with other students. One of those students is senior Trey Kearns, who has made it his mission to support school teams.
“After seeing RJ and Harrison lead the crowd like they had in the past, RJ kinda hinted towards how I should carry on his ‘legacy.’ So I decided to rile up a bunch of people in a crowd and now we got something formed,” said Kearns.
The Student Section has been active since the beginning of the school year and has no plans on stopping. Everyone plays their own role in making the Student Section great, whether it be using word-of-mouth to invite students and friends or just showing up to games.
“I was asked to join the Student Section by my friend. I thought that having a group to support Salem and its teams would be really cool and fun,” said senior Nassir Foster. “I plan to advertise it as often as possible through promotions on socials and telling people verbally.”
The Student Section also has an Instagram page where they share pictures and videos. This can be found at @shs.student_section. Another interesting thing about the student section is how they allow anyone to cheer along with them. Alumni, friends from other schools, and even an opposite school’s student section can be seen shouting with or against them, respectfully of course.
“I’ve only attended one Salem game, which was against Tallwood for volleyball, and based on that one game, I love the energy it brings. Also, I follow the page which allows me to see how the student section positively affects the student body by increasing morale,” said Mendoza.
If you have questions or just want to support the Student Section, talk to Jada Arthur or follow @shs.student_section on Instagram.
