Spartan Boosters, a student-led club, supports student-athletes and generates publicity for sports events. Perhaps their most popular and public initiative is Spartan of the Month. Almost every month, Spartan Boosters representatives announce the community’s and the club’s nomination for that student which they believe best represents the Spartan essence. Continue reading for an exclusive look at the selection process in an interview with Spartan Boosters co-president Pia Schultz and member Henrik Schleisman.

How long has Spartan of the Month been around?

Schleisman: “Well… when was SPA founded?”

Schultz: “Nope, we’re not doing that. I know my soccer coach, who graduated in 2008, participated and was a Spartan of the Month.”

HS: “That’s like a hundred years.”

How does the process work? How are people nominated?

PS: “So Spartan Boosters has a box right outside the athletic hallway, where we meet, and there’s a tissue where people can put names in.”

Theo Moen: “Can I nominate a faculty member?”

HS: “Theo, theo—”

PS: “So that’s half of it, that’s what the public chooses. And then we choose…”

HS: “The council.”

PS: “The council…”

HS: “4 anonymous voters.”

So there’s a public nomination, and then the club chooses another Spartan?

PS and HS: “Yes.”

HS: “You should include that I am the resident Spartan of the Month of the month of December, along with Tom Krusicak.”

PS: “Sure, sure you can say that.”

Is there a list of past Spartans of the Month?

HS: “We have an internal memory.”

PS:  “We kind of cooled off during the first couple of months because we didn’t have the box yet.”

Have there been any surprises for public nominations?

PS: “[Gracie Tilney-Kaemmer] was a surprise. So we got her [nomination] and we were afraid it was a mean joke, because we know she likes theater, so we were very surprised to see her name. So we wanted to double-check that it wasn’t a mean-spirited joke, so we checked with a lot of her friends and apparently it was an inside joke. So it definitely was a surprise.”

HS:  “I was aware that… I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

PS: “Scratch that.”

HS: “No, write that down.”

PS: “Okay, write that down.”

Have there been any other surprises?

PS: “I was surprised that Henrik and Tom were Spartans of the Month. I did not know that until I heard them announce it at the assembly, so that was a surprise for sure.”

HS: “Okay, well, I wasn’t surprised. I think I deserved it. Me and Tom deserved it, we worked hard.”

What does Spartan of the Month represent in this school?

HS: “Everything. Everything. It’s kind of founded on the morals that we live by. We aim to shape the hearts and minds of the people who will change the world, and that’s what we aim for as a school, and by realizing that there’s more to a person than their mind, and that their physical performance… Sports and athletics offer a great place for people to educate each other physically. And I think we should recognize that. We should recognize that in our society. Because at our school, we value our ACT scores, and our grades, and our GPAs, but we don’t value our hardwork and effort that we put in physically.”

PS: “They need some respect!”

What about some of the surprise nominations, like Tilney-Kraemmer?

HS: “As a Spartan of the Month? You’re prodding.”

PS: “Hang on, I have to consult with Henrik.… Spartan of the Month is about more than physical capabilities…”

HS: “But it also includes physical capabilities.”

PS: “Those are also very important. If you don’t have those, you can also have support. And Gracie is a very…”

HS: “Good.”

PS: “Good and supportive and encouraging…”

HS: “Person. Spartan.”

PS: “So we thought, “Why not?” She’s a great Spartan.”

HS: “And she got voted for four times. And there were no other nominations.”

So there’s more to people than their minds, but there’s also more to people than their athletic capabilities?

HS: “What I’m really trying to say is that there’s more to people. There’s more to people than… things.”