I recently chaperoned a group of eighth graders on a trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City. The middle school mascot is a Sea King, so in homage to the school and the movie Bring It On, I made a spirit stick out of a cardboard tube, paint, foam, and googly eyes. The stick has a sea king and queen on either end and is painted with the school initials, PVIS. Our Gettysburg guide called him Peavis and the name stuck. Peavis made the trip more fun and gave our boring tourist photos some spice. Everyone deserves a spirit stick or their own mascot, be it a garden gnome or an image printed on matching shirts, especially on a trip or outing.
