“Start the busses!” Sending away the opposing team, cheers erupt from the stands as the Nixa Eagles have won again. Students gather together under the bright lights of Eagle Stadium to cheer on the football team. The student section is on the far right of the stadium and is made of Nixa High School students ranging from freshmen to seniors.
The section comes up with cheers and dresses in a new theme each game. Senior Payton Link leads this year’s student section.
“It’s kind of nerve-racking because I have to do good, but I’ve never even been in the student section before because I’ve played football up until this year and now I’m leading [the student section],” Link said.
Link said that football games are primarily a time for him and his friends to relax and have fun together.
“[My favorite part is] honestly just hanging out with all of my best friends for two or three hours, not thinking about school, not thinking about homework, just having fun,” Link said. “There’s not a thought or care in the world other than the football game and what we’re going to say next.”
Senior June Collins helps lead the student section in chants. For Collins, Friday night football games are a highlight of her week.
“It’s what I look forward to, … it really gets me through the week,” Collins said. “It’s so fun when we’re all hyped up and getting loud.”
Senior Camila Figueroa also helps lead with Collins and said she believes that being a senior in the student section is much different than previous years.
“[Being a senior] makes [the student section] a lot more fun,” Figueroa said. “It’s really crazy how we started sitting at the top and now we’re at the bottom and seeing everyone grow up in the student section.”
Figueroa and Collins write on a whiteboard in order to convey the chants to the rest of the student section. This helps the student section stay active and engaged throughout the game.
“I just write whatever I think of, I try to do it when it gets quiet,” Figueroa said. “I also try not to let [the whiteboard] fall on anyone’s head.”
As a member of Cabinet, Collins helps decide on themes for the games.
“We have groups of people that are in charge of certain things,” Collins said. “Our group that’s in charge of football themes and spirit weeks will have a list of themes that we can all vote on and then the top ones will get chosen.”