In its first semester, State High’s student-led spirit group, “The Pride,” has completely revamped the concept of school spirit. Introduced by first-year Athletic Director Loren Crispell and led by senior Lila Franklin, The Pride aims to create an environment at school events where all students feel welcome to participate and show school spirit.
Over the past couple of years, State High had a clear culture problem. The only sport that had a true student presence was football, and the Memorial Field crowds had their own issues. Students would pack the stands at kickoff, but then stand around talking amongst themselves for 20 minutes before taking off. By the time the second half rolled around, 90% of the bodies previously in the student section were long gone.
“It’s always been kind of a qualm of mine that I think the school is super divided in like, factions, if you will, cliques,” Franklin said. “There’s the athletes, the arts people, miscellaneous people who are in clubs, and I wanted to start the group so that those lines could start to blur and we could just become a stronger, greater school community.”
Last year, boys basketball games were played in front of near-empty bleachers, and the idea of students showing up to a regular season lacrosse or field hockey game was unimaginable.
The only sport with a true home atmosphere was girls basketball, due in large part to the Wilson twins, Sienna and Sheree. The Wilsons brought a high-flying and exciting brand of basketball to the North Gym and showed up with a huge crowd in tow. Friends and family of the twins have supplied chants and cheers to go along with the team’s victories and Sienna and Sheree’s all-conference selections. However, the energetic environment still didn’t draw in students the way The Pride has this year.
Throughout the 2025 fall and winter sports seasons, every single sport has seen an increase in student attendance.
Football games like the double overtime thriller against Harrisburg were packed until the final whistle, and even the blowout victories often showcased loud, engaged fans.
State High Football Head Coach Matt Lintal was appreciative of the revamped student section all season and recognized the improvement in the Memorial Field atmosphere this year.
“We know that Friday nights are about a lot more than football,” Lintal said. “It’s about the band, it’s about the cheerleaders, the dance team, the students that are going crazy in the stands, and all the community members that come out to support this team; it’s always present at Memorial Field.”
Football and boys basketball have continued to see the most fiery crowds, but students have also shown up for boys and girls soccer games, field hockey games, and the State High Thespians’ performance of “Clue.”
“I think that The Pride has increased equity at our school,” Franklin said. “I kind of think that the sports-forward culture in State College is sometimes disappointing for people who aren’t involved in those spaces, or even for athletes who don’t play football and want to be recognized, so I think the work that we do is super important. Even if it’s five people or 10 showing up to a sporting event, that’s 10 people that would not have shown up last year. I think it’s really important for kids to feel seen when they’re doing so much work, putting in so many hours.”
Franklin also recognized the adults who have been instrumental in supporting the student-led group.
“It has been transformations to have the help of all the people in the athletics office, Mrs. Sekunda, even like some of the booster club presidents, Miriam Powell comes to mind. She’s been super helpful for me,” Franklin said. “Having that support from adults is just so transformational because as a student, I have outreach, and I can communicate with other students, but to get things done and be able to do events like the GameDay that we had for a football game, it takes adults like Ms. Corza and LC [Crispell] who are willing to put their time and effort into something to really make a change.”
Crispell, however, credited State High students with The Pride’s rousing success: “I just think our students are more ready than ever to jump in and help when they have an opportunity to impact their student community. Whether it’s attendance at games, whether it’s engagement in our school community, in the hallways, whether it’s community events like Toys for Tots, or the backpack program in Philipsburg.”
He continued, “I’m so proud of Lila [Franklin] and all of the students that make up The Pride because they stand for all of the things that we ask them to consider. Every day, ‘represent SC,’ all of the things that our administration hopes for and expects of them, they are living it out day to day, so I can’t say enough about the Pride group. They have made such a positive impact on our school this year.”
As the school year continues, Franklin hopes The Pride continues to represent SC at winter and spring sporting events, and especially upcoming school events like Lift Every Voice, which she helps lead.
“I would hope that The Pride’s presence would build awareness for cultural events,” Franklin said. “Some people don’t understand the importance and nuance of why we’re doing those things, and I think people should also want to hear the stories of people who are sharing their cultural experiences at State High, or just in general, so I hope that The Pride can highlight the true message of Lift Every Voice.”
For more information on themes and upcoming events, The Pride is on Instagram @the.pridescasd.
