Three senior girls are going where no girl at LZHS has gone before: the front row of the bleachers to lead the student section.
Maria Schroeder, Chelsie Roth, and Jenni Gorey, seniors, are the first girls ever to be chosen as student section leaders.
Since the student section is a club this year, each of the girls were recommended to Student Council by their teachers or coaches. The girls are only three of the five football student section leaders, although there are more girl student section leaders in the club as a whole.
“[Being one of the first girls to lead the student section] feels amazing and I’m really honored. There haven’t been any female student section leaders in the past, and I’m excited to be one of the first,” Schroeder said. “I hope this will lead the way for more girls to be in the leadership [position] for the student section in the future.”
Each of the three girls tells Bear Facts they are honored to be the first few female leaders and excited to show their Bear Pride.
Maria Schroeder:
BF: As one of the first girls leading the student section, how do you plan to set the bar for other girls who may lead in the future?
MS: I hope to set the bar [high] by just going all out to support our school. During the football season I hope to do it by leading some of the chants, going crazy when dressing up for theme days, carrying around our famous giant head, and also just proving to guys that there are some girls who do know a lot about sports and can greatly contribute to the student section.
BF: What will you do to try and better the student section this year?
MS: What we’re trying to do this year is include the whole school, all grades. That doesn’t mean the freshmen and sophomores are going to be sitting in the stands, but we want to find a way that we can get everyone involved to support our school. I really want to get the crowd more involved in the game and I think a lot of the things we have planned will help with that.
BF: How do you think the student section will be different this year now that it is a club?
MS: Now that it is a club we are able to have a better communication with the school. [Chris] Bennett, [Student Council sponsor] is the buffer between us and the school, so he is able to help us out a lot. This prevents the school from being mad about what we do as a student section. I really think it is going to be a lot more fun of a student section than it has been in the past.
Chelsie Roth:
BF: What do you think you have to prove to your peers?
CR: I just have to prove that I can do this and that I can make this year an unforgettable year for everyone. These are the kind of moments you never forget from high school, so you have to make them count.
BF: Has the group received any type of criticism so far from your peers in the student section?
CR: I haven’t been directly getting criticism, but I know the club has been. Everyone is assuming we’re completely changing everything, but we’re not. We’re just making it better. We just want to make these moments the ones to always remember.
BF: Have you received any praise so far from peers or faculty members?
CR: Yeah, a lot of people are supportive as well, but there’s always people who aren’t going to be. [The support] means a lot because you need all the support you can get. I’m really grateful for all of it.
Jenni Gorey:
BF: How do you think the student section will be different now that it is a club?
JG: I think it will be more unified. We have a few things planned to do during games so it will be fun to see how those play out. In the beginning it might be rough, but we’re trying. We just hope the students will be open minded. I hope people join the club because there are a lot of benefits [they will receive], but I guess we will have to wait and see.
BF: What are some of the benefits students will receive if they join the student section club?
JG: For $20, students can get a club t-shirt and there is free food on some occasions. The club also gets you involved with people, sports, and events they may not be familiar with. Plus, it looks great for college.
BF: What will you personally bring to the club?
JG: I’m willing to work with others even who aren’t necessarily in the club. I’d like to bring an outgoing personality that’s willing to listen to people’s ideas and concerns. I’ll continue going all out for the themes and being loud during the games.
