What is the nest?
NCC’s “The Nest” is home to a robust and diverse group of student athletes. The group is made up of a web of supporters who come to games and competitions for their fellow Cardinals.
They fill the student section of basketball, volleyball and football games. The Nest encourages NCC teams to do their best and pull through for their school.
The student sections show up rain or shine. Whether it’s a snowy day in Naperville or a sunny day in October, it doesn’t matter. It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll see a group of students in red and white striped overalls with foam fingers and face paint.
There are no explicit rules to being in The Nest, you just have to come loud and proud to any sporting event. Not only do they show up to home games and competitions, but you go to an away game and still see a stray Cardinal showing up for their friends.
The best part about the student section? The only requirement is that you be LOUD. You don’t have to know anything about what sporting event you go to, whenever a Cardinal scores you just have to be rowdy.
Most importantly the formation of The Nest creates a community for students to lean on. It brings the student body together to cheer on their favorite players and teams. This sense of togetherness promotes camaraderie and a united front to those who come to campus. In addition to our outstanding sports teams, our student section is a team as well.
NCC nest instagram
The NCC Nest Instagram promotes sporting events and different records that individuals at NCC have set. They regularly post senior nights, themed competitions and school wide events.
In addition to sport related events, the nest instagram also helps Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) vice president Sadie Hill, ’25, who is also a member of the women’s wrestling team, promote student led events as well.
“The instagram account is student run and helps to promote our school’s events. It brings awareness to not only school sporting events but also SAAC events that are going on around campus,” said Hill.
Direct effect on the school community
Last year the organization hosted a dodgeball tournament. The proceeds went to improving the Chippy awards at the end of the year. There is even a designated award for a Pack the Nest Award. Teams got an award based on their attendance at other sports teams’ events.
Possibly a downside to such a strong student community is the seemingly problematic Instagram posts that are curated on social media. This may include graphics of other schools or members of other team being the target of these practical jokes. However, these posts consist of a myriad of likes shares and comments. They communicate the student body’s appreciation for their sports teams winning.
At the end of the day, the student section at NCC plays a large role in hyping up their fellow Cardinals. They do this while cultivating a community culture that people feel they can be a part of. It is important to maintain this culture so that student-athletes continue to receive support from their community. Consequently, this will help student athletes understand that their performance is valued.
