This was it.
Posing for our Math Team banner, my fellow captains and I knew that these next few minutes were no joke. This next picture would serve as the face of our club that was to be displayed in the cafeteria for the entire school to see.
The photographer peered through his camera lens, aligning the perfect shot as we all took one last breath and put on our game faces.
*FLASH!*
Rushing over to see the snapshot, I was overcome with emotion as I reveled in the absolute perfection that unfolded on that camera screen: Josh, Allen, and Anne, staring steel-faced into the camera—their arms crossed, shoulders square, with our team’s silverware glistening behind them to flaunt our nineteen state championships and over fifty-years-in-a-row as DVC champions.
And me, clutching tightly to a fluffy stuffed bear smushed against my cheek, grinning goofily in the background.
To this day, I’m not sure what the caption word, “prime,” is supposed to be referencing: our dominant state competition performances, a clever math-y pun, or my picture perfect pose. Regardless, this Math Team captains banner has become a sort-of inside joke amongst my teammates, creating a secret bond of understanding in a largely individual and competitive activity. Ever since its rise to fame, the stuffed bear (named Stokes) now acts as our club mascot, with last year’s teammates passing the plushy to new members throughout the school day as a fluffy, snuggly surprise. And, of course, incoming freshmen flock into practices in search of Stokes’ iconic, photogenic face, but leave instead with a newfound curiosity for competition math.
While humor is an aspect of my identity I pursue for enjoyment, it also has a powerful role in developing a sense of community and teamwork.
Like just about anyone else, a good laugh is something I can never pass up on. Whether it be a classic schadenfreude response to a friend’s struggle with a girl or the more risqué jokes of a Cards Against Humanity game, I’m all for some good fun once in a while.
However, all jokes aside, the concept of humor can actually play a huge role in the success of a school club team or professional company.
Take the Math Team banner, for example. Sure, it looks silly. Of course, it attracts sideways glances in the hallways. And, with good reason, both the photographer and our math team head coach (Mrs. Moore) were skeptical at the idea. But, ever since the banner has went up in the small caf (which was very late, if I may add), our $150 spent on that piece of fabric has gotten a lot more than just giggles and glances.
Instead, Stokes and I managed to advertise Math Team while also making the exploration and discovery of competition math more accessible. From sophomores and juniors that I TA for in AP Physics 1 to freshmen in my PE Leader class, I have been notified of my artistic choices quite frequently this past week. It makes sense, after all: walking down a hallway with countless banners of stone-cold debaters, DECA competitors, and chessmasters (and Jeffrey Cheng, I might add), the one cute, adorable thing in a sea of intensity instantly draws people’s attention. Oh, and also the fact that there’s a stuffed animal in the picture next to me.
However, after the laughing and eyebrow raising is done, the same string of questions always seem to follow: what is Math Team? When are practices? Can I join? Soon, I couldn’t help but spot some familiar underclassmen faces at practices, picking up past competition packets and listening in on our coach’s lessons. While it may have started as a joke, my humor seems to be having some seriously positive effects on our Math Team culture and team structure.
And I’m not alone on this idea of humor’s benefits. In an article for Forbes magazine, Michael Kerr, an international business speaker, describes what he calls the “humor advantage.” His research indicated that “companies have used humor and a positive fun culture to help brand their business, attract and retain employees and to attract customers.” The fact of the matter is that, even in professional workplaces, your entire community—your customers, employees, and bosses—are humans just like you. While they may be donned in a suit from nine to five, I’ll bet that almost every one of those same people enjoy a good football game or family Monopoly game at night. Given this, I can’t help but see the power that humor and relaxation can have in even the most professional aspects of our lives, whether it be a joking side comment or a $150 portrait of a stuffed animal.
(A short but sweet video by Michael Kerr himself detailing his term: The Humor Advantage. Source: Youtube (Michael Kerr))
Humor is funny, but it also has the power to create. I use jokes to foster teamwork. My humor nurtures exploration. Most importantly, that stuffed bear and I created a hilarious photograph that also sparked a passion for learning within my community.
Pretty funny how that works, right?
Works Cited
Smith, Jacquelyn. “10 Reasons Why Humor Is A Key To Success At Work.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 June 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/05/03/10-reasons-why-humor-is-a-key-to-success-at-work/.
I was walking through the halls earlier this week and I noticed that they put up the banners. The first banner that caught my eye was the one with Stokes in it. As soon as I saw the banner one question popped into my head, “ What’s the bear doing there?” and suddenly I remembered it was Mrs. Moore’s bear from last year so I was able to connect the dots to math team. Looking at the banner made me laugh because it was goofy. Having Stokes as the mascot really caught my eye and I’m sure it will catch the eye of many others at school. I think clubs should show more of their goofy side because it really brings people together and creates fun memories people will reflect on many years in the future. One of my favorite things to do is laugh because not only does it relieve stress but it brightens my day. Once college apps are done, I’m going to work on writing jokes. Something silly I did last year was write really bad pick up lines and attach them to valentines cookies and it became one of the highlights of my junior year.
I definitely think adding humor to situations is really important. People are generally happier if they laugh even a few more times a day, and humor is a great way not just to attract members to a club but also to make better friends.
I was wondering, what are your thoughts on how to handle jokes that don’t go well? Not everyone has the same sense of humor, and sometimes people’s jokes can be ill-advised or just generally low-quality.
Hi Ann,
Funny you should ask (okay, I’ll stop now). Michael Kerr actually comments on this scenario in his interview with Forbes. He claims that, while clearly racist/offensive jokes can destroy people’s first impressions of, say, a new employee or student in a class, the continual lack of humor and personality can have the exact same effect. To that end, I’d answer that jokes and humor should be taken slowly. Perhaps begin with lighthearted, “dad joke”-esque comments to establish a base, and then, if you really want to, build into the more sarcastic, ironic side of you as your friendships and relationships strengthen.
That sounds cool! I actually meant to ask how to deal with other people’s bad jokes, but this was helpful too. Thanks!
I’m still really miffed about the fact that speech didn’t shell out cash for a banner this year. I was looking forward to dressing up in my weekend competition suit and posing in an eloquent pose. I’ve got to say, though, that your poster looks pretty funny. I think it’s a tie for funniest pose between you and the aforementioned Jeffrey Cheng in the chess banner!
This was such an interesting read. Being a team captain myself, I have also gone through the struggle of taking banner photos. Having that experience under my belt I can say one thing about your photo: it’s bold. There is the pressure of wanting to represent your club well so that people know and respect your activity, hence the somber faces and intimidating poses. So, in the small caf and athletic hallway, we see a myriad of those intense faces, until we see yours. Despite the immediate impression, in a backward way, your banner accomplishes the goal of being known and respected better than any other banner up there. I’m definitely impressed. After all, any guy who has the guts to have a very large photo of him and a stuffed bear hang for the rest of senior year has my respect.
Insightful post JGu!
You are definitely one of the funniest guys I know (even though most of your humor comes in the form of roasts). It’s interesting to see how you’ve integrated your personality into the Math Team’s identity in order to improve the experience for all the members. Although I’m no longer on Math Team, I can definitely see how your humor and friendliness can make the intimidating concept of competitive math into something more welcoming.