FNL: Friday Night Lights. These nights are the highlight of our high school career. One key figure of these nights are the Superfans, a group of seniors in charge of going to every game, bringing the most spirit and getting the rest of the student section pumped up. For the freshmen stuck at the top of the bleachers, you’ll find your Superfans at the very front, pumping you up to cheer for the team. At Hudson, our Superfans are chosen each year by the Superfans from the previous senior class, mostly to make sure that the most hype students are leading the cheers. But, this system could be modified to better represent the entire student body.
Superfans are supposed to be the most energetic and inclusive students in the stands. They should bring high energy and passion for Hudson, but also be respectful of our opponents and audience members. They should be model students who have tons of enthusiasm and spirit. Many high schools have different systems of choosing Superfans for each school year, and here at Hudson, we choose to use a system of nomination, where the previous senior Superfans choose the next generation from the upcoming senior class. Supposedly, this system is meant to make sure that the best superfans are chosen, since those who have experience under their belt should know exactly what to look for. But does this system work the way it is intended? Or does it ensure that only certain groups of students take over, regardless of school spirit?
I’ve heard this conversation brought up before – in class, in the hallway and during lunch. So I reached out to the student body to get the opinions of the students, rather than solely basing this off of my opinion. When asked if the nomination system is representative of the entire student body, 63% of students said that no, it doesn’t. But this system is tradition at Hudson, and it’s been around for a long time – so could it be replaced?
Elizabeth Castellarin said that this system is a legacy that should not be messed with. She believes that “having the social ability to be able to interact with the class above you and to build bonds is a skill everyone needs to have. Maybe if someone really wanted to be a superfan they should start a conversation and build a relationship with an upperclassman who is one.” John Stecker says that “the Superfans shouldn’t be a wide range of individuals; it should just be filled with the most energetic and supportive football fans in the school.”
Emma Lenz thinks that the Superfans must be selective to make sure that the students chosen can live up to the expectations. “I also think that the super fans are not necessarily a representation of the entire student body but are a representation of the kind of people who enjoy being at football games/sporting events. For example, you wouldn’t want someone quiet … if they’re not going to put themselves out there and be enthusiastic and going all out.”
Now there were plenty of students who voiced their dislike of the current system. One thinks that the Superfans always end up coming from the same group of friends, and that maybe installing a new system will represent the student body better. “I don’t even think they should be passed down because they always stay in the same friend group throughout grades and sometimes they aren’t even the best choices in terms of capability & enthusiasm. It should be more democratic in like an election/Google form type of thing—this would represent the student body better, or at least their opinions.”
Another student was quite passionate about her opinion, saying that, “It’s such a click thing and I think they should either rotate each game or you can sign up for it. Also I think if you’re bad, you get kicked out.”
A junior brought their own hopes of being a future Superfan into the picture. “I know that super fans are chosen by the previous superfans which I feel is unfair. I have been wanting to be a super fan for years but I know with our current system in place, there will never be a chance since I am not close friends with the current superfans. I think we should do a sign-up system so more people get the chance.”
I had the chance to ask some of our current Superfans on how they got to their position and what they have to say to those who are opposed to the tradition of nomination. Tyler Travis, who received the flag boy position from Ethan Ross, says that being a Superfan “is extremely fun. However, it can be difficult when things go wrong or people aren’t behaving in the student section. Mr. Chuppa and the principals rely on us to make sure the issues are resolved. With that comes a lot of pressure to make sure everyone is on their best behavior.” He says that the position, “for some people, is definitely embarrassing, so having your friends around you can be a good way to get through that embarrassment.”
Senior Rocco Reese believes that the system as it is works just fine and is a great tradition. “It [the system] has been around for so many years and it’s an honor to be selected. The nomination is also apart from the school and needs to stay that way. We, the superfans, work really hard with the school on expectations. But nomination-wise, the school should not be part of the process because it is one of the few things in our school that is 100% student led.”
Katia Ikhlef believes that the Superfans show a diverse selection of our senior class, including students who participate in many activities and sports. She also thinks that creating a signup sheet would complicate the system much more than needed “In my opinion it [Superfans] shows a good sample of our senior class. Some activities that the superfans partake in are soccer, field hockey, hockey, basketball, cross-country, LCPC, Student Government, NHS, FHS and many more. I’m not sure if there would be another way we could implement this tradition because if we per say had people ‘apply’ to be a superfan, who would pick? What would the qualifications be? As most things the outcome would seem pretty biased regardless of how people were picked.”
The nomination system is one long standing tradition at Hudson, and it’s an honor to find out you’ve been selected, but the system is slightly flawed. It can sometimes result in students being chosen that can’t fulfill the expectations they are required to meet. This year, the class of 2023 Superfans have been great, hyping up the student section, running up and down getting all students involved in the game. But considering the option of maybe doing a sign up system, then having the Superfans sit down and review all students signed up, or even having each sports team nominate a boy and girl for consideration, might open the door to more students to express their interest for the position, but still keeping the Superfans included in the process will help ensure that next football season, Hudson will have the most enthusiastic and passionate Superfans out of the whole Suburban League. Sometimes, a change can be good.
