Prospect H.S. student section in the running for best in state

Prospect High School will find out Saturday if the Underground is the best large school cheering section in Illinois.

The Prospect "Underground" - or the "U" - is a finalist in the first year of the Student Section Showdown, sponsored by the Illinois High School Association.

It's all about the video. Forty high schools submitted video entries demonstrating their school spirit. Locally, those included Barrington's Big Red and Hersey's Orange Crush, as well as The U.

"We were hoping for 20 entries, so to double that goal was very encouraging," said Beth Sauser, IHSA assistant executive director.

The IHSA Student Advisory Committee came up with the contest, to re-energize student sections and encourage more participation at athletic events.

"Most importantly," Sauser added, "it will be a great platform to promote sportsmanship."

Prospect is the only Northwest suburban finalist among Class 3A and 4A schools, where it is competing against Morton High School, Normal Community and Ottawa. The winner will be announced Saturday at the Class 3A boys basketball state championship game.

The four Class 1A & 2A finalists are Central A&M, Dwight, Hinckley-Big Rock & Olympia.

Frank Mirandola, a Prospect social studies teacher and the head track and field coach, moderates The U.

He said the name derives from an underground pep rally held for the boys basketball team prior to the 2008 Mid-Suburban League championship game.

"The name has stuck ever since," he adds, "but this year has been our best thus far."

Mirandola credits The U's student leaders with not only encouraging attendance at home and away games, but coming up with innovative ways to engage the student body.

"A few of us were frustrated with the lack of school unity and pride during our first years at Prospect," says Beth Clifford of Mount Prospect, one of The U's senior leaders.

"Honestly, a lot of the things we accomplished this year were completely unexpected," she adds. "Once we started doing cool stuff, though, the ball kept rolling and didn't ever seem to slow down."

In late August, at Prospect's opening home football game, 500 students in the stands took the Ice Bucket Challenge to benefit ALS research. They followed up at the homecoming game when students threw colored powder on themselves as part of the event's theme, "Color the Knight."

Both are captured in the video they submitted to the IHSA, as well as some of their organized chants and themes at basketball games.

"They have found such creative ways to tap into the vast interests of students," Mirandola says, "and to keep the high school experience fresh and unique for the 21st century."

Sauser says schools and their videos were judged by standards that include sportsmanship, student participation, school spirit, originality, student leadership and overall fun.

"There are a lot of positive and innovative things happening with student sections around the state," Sauser says. "The bar has been set very high for the future."

At Prospect, Associate Principal Michelle Dowling estimates that more than 1,000 students participate in The U events, and they have elevated school spirit in the process.

"Not only do they participate in fun events, but they do so in a way that is respectful," Dowling says. "They have learned from the student leadership and sponsor what it means to be a leader and an ambassador of our school, no matter where they are as a group."