The beloved student-run fan section is back and hungry to cheer on yet another varsity basketball season, according to LT Weirdos member Chris Franko ‘23. Working alongside a group of senior boys, Franko has been making school pride a priority in his final year of high school. 

For 10 years, the torch has been passed down to students who show great energy and love for high school athletics, as well as getting a little weird in the process, Weirdos member Dylan Nelson ‘23 said.

“Being a Weirdo is all about embodying school spirit,” Nelson said. “I think that we represent everything that LT stands for in terms of expressing our passion for our sports. Basically take a bunch of guys that love LT sports, milk, chirping, put them at a game and you have our Weirdos.”

While the Weirdos started off as an Instagram account centered around getting students to come out to basketball games, they have been hoping to expand to show their support to more than just basketball. They have been producing more content surrounding sports like football, soccer, baseball, and more. The content featured on the Instagram, @lthsweirdos, plays a big role in increasing fan attendance at games, which is the main goal of the Weirdos. However, without the help of a designated videographer or photographer this year, the boys are encouraged to explore their creativity more.

“Being able to take a more creative approach with our videos this year has definitely been successful,” Franko said. “None of us have any experience, so it’s fun to learn together with each video we make. Seeing the positive feedback from our followers makes everything worth it.”

The challenge of not having access to videographers and photographers like usual isn’t the only hurdle the Weirdos have been facing this year. Yet, with challenges stem goals. The boys have been specifically trying to target more underclassmen this year as they feel it is harder to get them involved in school activities, according to Weirdos member Emmett Driscoll ‘23.

“Some of the underclassmen just don’t realize how cool and unique the Weirdos are,” Driscoll said. “Most schools have some sort of school spirit page but none to the extent that we do, that all started from a group of friends trash talking Hinsdale [Central High School].”

The Weirdos main job is to assemble large groups of students at sporting events to remind the students of LT that behind the competition, there will always be fun and goofing around. However, they are also present at these events for the athletes. Nelson, who also plays as a guard for the basketball team, values the intensity of the stands behind him at every game, he said. 

For Weirdos member Jack Falls ‘23, watching his friends on the court with the knowledge that his support is playing a role in their performance is his favorite part, he said. 

“We want to pack the gym for every home game the rest of this season,” Falls said. “It plays a big role in the games and can help our team win. I remember coming to games when I was little and they had to stop letting people in at some point because the gym was so crowded and I think it’d be cool to experience that type of environment again but as a student.”

As the biggest basketball game of the year approaches, the Weirdos have begun preparation and are throwing ideas around in order to achieve the largest attendance possible. The annual “Blackout Game” taking place on Feb. 17 against Lake Park High School is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year at LT. The boys have been discussing ways to promote the game through social media as well as putting posters up around the school. The game will be the team’s senior night as well, which means a lot to the Weirdos. 

“I think that people often forget that the group is not just limited to the 10 or 15 guys that show up in the videos on the Instagram account,” Nelson said. “There are students that show up to games in body paint, surprising outfits, bring energy, get loud, and represent what it means to be a member of the best student section in the nation, who never appear in the videos, but they provide just as large or larger of an impact.”