Jayhawk Seniors Nesting for the Future

February 4, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

JACKSON – It’s tradition – at least symbolically – that a graduating class leaves behind lessons learned and memories they've helped make for the students who will come next. The same will be said for those graduating from Vandercook Lake this spring.

But a group of 13 who for the most part have been friends since kindergarten decided last fall they’d attempt to also pass on a legacy that already is making noise – literally – throughout the small community on the south end of Jackson.

The Jayhawks to come will inherit a new mascot costume, flags bearing the initials “VCL,” spirit towels and student section T-shirts.

And most of all, they’ll be able to take part in a new tradition that has made the “Nest” a Battle of the Fans II finalist this winter and symbol itself of what makes Vandercook Lake most proud.

“How close-knit we are, how much we all get along so well and everyone has fun,” senior Janessa Krueger said. “I feel like our school is good about including lots of people. Our class, we just want to leave a legacy of being the ones who started this section, and being a close-knit grade that’s really supportive.”

Vandercook Lake on Friday was the second stop on this season’s Battle of the Fans II finalists tour. The MHSAA will next visit Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard on Tuesday followed by Zeeland East on Friday. The postponement of last Thursday’s boys basketball game has pushed Buchanan’s trip to Feb. 15, and the Facebook voting that will contribute to the determination of the champion will begin a day later than previously scheduled – Feb. 19 – and end Feb. 21 with the winner then announced Feb. 22.

The Battle of the Fans played a big part in the creation of a more organized Vandercook Lake cheering effort this winter. But it wasn't the original cause.

The Jayhawks started out with the main goal of replacing the mascot costume that was stolen years before. To do so would cost $1,700. It became possible, though, because the seniors had done some significant fundraising as juniors to go with what already was in the class fund.

That got the ball rolling. But the seniors – led by that 13-member group – weren't done.

They did have some tradition from which to draw. A much less formal section was formed three seasons ago to take part in a local TV contest to pick the Jackson area’s top cheering section – and the Jayhawks finished second.

And even long before that, there was the Spirit Jug. Based on the Spirit Stick made popular by the original “Bring It On” movie, the high schoolers have long battled for the right to possess the Spirit Jug, which goes to whichever class cheers loudest during an in-school competition at the beginning of the school year (Vandercook Lake’s middle schoolers compete for a similar, but much smaller, milk jug.).

The Nest committee pushed the effort to a new level.

It’s made up of four girls and nine guys, including two basketball players and 12 athletes total. Together, they make up 15 percent of the senior class. “There isn't really anybody you don’t know. We all pretty much become friends,” Tyler Petress said, glancing toward the rest of the committee. “This is pretty much our lunch table.”

Spreading the word and sharing the work is easier with 13 people contributing. Two leaders in particular have taken on the tasks of making fliers and posters. Two more share mascot duties.

Since all are friends as well, they are comfortable sharing ideas and policing each other and the rest of the section when a chant doesn't share in the positivity the section as a whole is aspires to achieve.

“I think a lot of the planning that happens, happens outside of our meetings. ‘Oh I have a great idea; let me just text any one of you because we know each other so well,’” senior Tricia Parmalee said. “We talk to each other throughout the week, and then when we come back into the same room we at least have some idea of what’s been going on all week.”

Initiative also makes this group special. To initially get the ball rolling, half the committee met with the high school’s principal, assistant principal, athletic director and the district’s superintendent to explain desires and plans to purchase the mascot costume and spirit towels and even an idea for creating a student-only pass for games. The committee has constant dialogue with athletic director Barb Blair, who raved about the group and how it has gone about accomplishing its goals.  

Of course, there have been challenges. The committee originally included others before whittling to this core group. And again, every committee member is a senior – and it’s an ongoing task to include the younger classes and make sure the legacy continues on.  

The Battle of the Fans II has served as a rallying point – although that too came with some concern because Vandercook Lake is about 22 percent smaller than the next-smallest finalist.

But the Nest has simply added that to the list of worthwhile challenges that have taken on to make what they’ll leave behind so meaningful.

“Being at a smaller school, getting the recognition that we are for all of the hard work that we've done through the basketball season, to show (that work) pays off is a huge thing for our confidence,” senior Tyler Mihalatos said.

“(It shows) that maybe, even if we’re not the biggest school, this still means something.”

“For us, we’re never going to forget this stuff,” Parmalee added. “It was so fun, and it’s so fun now.” 

Subway is a sponsor of this season's Battle of the Fans II contest. 

PHOTOS: Vandercook Lake's cheering section follows a leader during a rollercoaster cheer Friday. (Middle) Vandercook Lake's mascot, the Jayhawk, poses with its unofficial mascot, the Junior Jayhawk. (Photos by Jenography Photos by Jen.)

#BOTF V: Make Way for a New Champion

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The second-largest and arguably strongest pool of applicants in Battle of the Fans history made it especially hard for members of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council to pick only five finalists for this year’s competition.

The result? A mix of past contenders and rising candidates that together guarantee there will be a first-time winner for the fifth time in the contest’s five-year history.

Yale, a finalist in 2015, again is in the running and joined by Charlotte, Munising, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and 2014 finalist Traverse City West. This year’s pool of 22 applicants was the second-largest in Battle of the Fans history and largest since 2013.

Battle of the Fans V, organized by MHSAA staff and its 16-member Student Advisory Council, will reward the cheering section that best creates the positive and festive atmosphere made possible when students show enthusiasm, togetherness and sportsmanship while rooting for their team. MHSAA staff and Student Advisory Council members will visit all five finalists for home boys basketball games during the second half of this regular season, with coverage and video from those visits and the announcement of the winner all to be published on Second Half.

Schools were invited in December to submit short videos, via YouTube, of their cheering sections in action. The winner will be announced Feb. 19, and video of all five sections will be played on the Breslin Center HD scoreboard during the Finals in March. The champion and finalists also will be recognized during the Boys Semifinals on March 25.

This year’s finalists include at least one school from each MHSAA Class – A, B, C and D – and 16 of 22 finalists received at least one top-five vote from a member of the Student Advisory Council.

“This was not only one of the largest, but top-to-bottom it's one of the strongest fields of applicants we’ve had during the five years of Battle of the Fans,” said Andy Frushour, MHSAA director of brand management and advisor to the Student Advisory Council.  “It shows this program is growing. Schools know about it and look forward to taking part. And most importantly, the message is continuing to spread that students can have a blast rooting on their classmates in a positive way.”

Video submissions included explanations on how each section met the following contest criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, student section leadership and overall fun.

Click the links below to see the videos submitted by the finalists:

Charlotte - Munising - Muskegon Western Michigan Christian - Traverse City West - Yale

The winner will be selected by another Advisory Council vote based in part on activity on the MHSAA’s social media sites. All social media postings regarding Battle of the Fans V should include the hashtag #BOTF. The MHSAA will post throughout the finalists tour on its FacebookTwitter and Instagram sites and Snapchat feed.

Finalists will be visited for the following home basketball games:

Jan. 15: Armada at Yale
Jan. 23: Spring Lake at Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
Feb. 4: Traverse City Central at Traverse City West
Feb. 5: Eben Junction Superior Central at Munising
Feb. 12: Parma Western at Charlotte

Big Rapids, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Dowagiac, Tawas and Wayland, listed here in alphabetical order, rounded out the top 10 in the vote to select the finalists. Dowagiac was last year's champion, following Frankenmuth in 2012, Buchanan in 2013 and Beaverton in 2014. 

This year’s applicants brought the total number of schools that have entered the contest at least once to 75, with Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard – a finalist in 2013 – the only school to apply all five years. Traverse City West has applied three times, Munising and Yale twice, and Charlotte and Western Michigan Christian were first-time entrants this year. There were 15 first-time applicants total, also including Big Rapids, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Fulton-Middleton, Holland, Imlay City, Manton, Norway, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Tawas, Utica Ford, Walled Lake Western, Wayland and Wyoming Godwin Heights. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary applied for the second time.

Click to view all applications on YouTube.

The contest is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, which promotes Michigan's locally-produced dairy products and nutrition education. 

Rules plus links to last year’s coverage of the contest can be found on the BOTF page of the MHSAA site.

The Student Advisory Council is made up of eight seniors and eight juniors who each serve two-year terms. The Council acts as the voice of Michigan's student-athletes; it serves as a student sounding board for the MHSAA's Representative Council, assists in planning Sportsmanship Summits, Captains Clinics and other student leadership events; participates in a yearly focus group about the state of high schools sports for Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and assists with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events.

PHOTOS: MHSAA Battle of the Fans finalists cheer on their teams, clockwise from top left: Buchanan, Dowagiac, Yale, St. Johns and Beaverton.