Fueled by student leadership, the Green Army is back and better than ever
The Green Army is ready to make an impression. After years of declining attendance in Gretna High School’s student section, they are determined to create a new vibe, and leading it is GHS Vice Principal Trent W. Steele who knows that a student section is more than just the volume in the stands.
“I’m passionate, because I’m a firm believer that when anyone in a school community goes out and they perform, no matter what it is — whether they’re in band, whether they’re in a stage production, whether they’re an athlete — when they go out there, they have our name…they’re representing us,” Steele said. “And when they represent us, they represent all of us, and so that kind of effort and work needs to be supported.”
Steele’s dream of a student section is a group of people who care about support and connection within the community.
“I’ve never seen so much dedication and genuine support for each other… I can just feel it, I can see it.” Steele said, “We’re letting the people out on the field know, or on the court know, that there are people in the stands that care about them.”
Steele stresses that the Green Army is about the students, and not the administration. For it to reach its full potential, the students need to have a majority voice. While Steele has an important vision for the Green Army, the energy comes directly from the students.
“This is something that the students involved in Green Army have believed long before I ever got here,” Steele said.
Zoe Chagnon, coach of the Gretna High Cheer team, first saw the Green Army as a GHS student and now as part of game-day spirit.
“I think that a strong student section is so important at games, it shows that our school is unified, that our students are unified,” Chagnon said.
Chagnon was a student at GHS when the Green Army was in its first wave of excitement.
“I’m really excited about this year, because I think we’re growing that excitement and bringing back the Green Army has had a huge impact on our school,” Chagnon said.
The generals of the Green Army play an important role in trying to get other students involved in chants and other fun gameday activities. They echo the passions that the staff and admin have.
“(We need to) show our school spirit for every sport, not just football,” sophomore Addi Spofford said.
For her, it is important that school spirit is not limited to football; while football draws in a great crowd, it is important that other sports get the same attention.
A big focus of the Green Army this year is to come back stronger and different from anything that has been seen before.
“Hopefully, this is a marker year,” senior Caleb Haecker said. “This is a year for it to build back up.”
Haecker said he wants to see the original Green Army come back, but even better than it was before. However, for senior Kelsey Van Waart, it’s all about tradition.
“I want this to be a tradition that carries on past our graduating seniors,” Van Waart said. “Have it keep going and keep that spark alive.”
For both Haecker and Van Waart, it’s important for them to see the Green Army live on way past their graduating class and continue to thrive with a strong sense of school spirit.
“Keep showing up, and just have fun,” Chagnon said. “You never get these four years of high school back again in your life, so go have fun, enjoy the time you have here.”
