We got spirit yes we do. We got spirit, how about you? Of course we have spirit here at AHS, but the question is, do we really show it? Every year, I anticipate the festivities of spirit week, in which students get to break up the normal school routine by wearing silly outfits, building tissue paper floats and dancing to their heart’s content at the homecoming dance.
I expect to walk in on Wacky Tacky Day and be surrounded by students in `80s garb, neon leggings, plastic bracelets and Chuck Taylors. I always feel a pang of disappointment when, as I push through the doors of jock lobby, I only spot a few people dressed like me.
“A lot of people I know just don’t participate in Spirit Week. It just seems like people don’t embrace school spirit like they used to,” said senior Connor Volk.
Ex-officio leadership teacher of three years Abbie Kahn said, “It always seems to be the same people from each class that wear the red and white, go to homecoming, and build the float during spirit week.”
Participation in spirit week and homecoming events has seemed to decrease more each year since I have been here, and there is no clear remedy for this Spirit week-ness. What is obvious though is that Spirit Week needs to be reevaluated so that it appeals more to the strong pride in culture that is dominant at our high school.
“In trying to add appeal to Spirit Week, we should reach out to different populations and to the diversity found here in Annandale,” said Kahn.
“Whenever you attend an event that has to do with culture, the pride that AHS students show in their country is astounding. If we could somehow build on that pride, participation in Spirit Week would definitely grow.”
Of all the events that AHS holds every year, Heritage Night receives the most spectators. Students jump at the opportunity to flaunt the traditional and unique aspects of their culture at Heritage Night, so why would the same not be true if we incorporated cultural identity into Spirit Week?
“I think that if we at least had one day out of Spirit Week that had to do with heritage, a lot more kids would want to take part. If you think about it, culture is the only thing that almost everyone has an interest in,” said junior Diana Herring.
Sports, dancing and fashion are the interests that are guaranteed to be touched upon every Spirit Week. But at a school with such extreme diversity, it is astounding that culture is never a factor in the spirit days, float building, or dance themes. Picture this: if we found a way to incorporate heritage into the homecoming festivities, we would be uniting the masses.
At first glance, one may think that by focusing on diversity, Spirit Week would be straying from its traditional cause. In reality, we would be celebrating the diversity of our school, which brings a unique sense of spirit to each student and the community. With a pinch of tradition and a dash of culture, AHS’s case of Spirit Week-ness would be sure to clear up right away.
Sarah S. • Mar 8, 2010 at 11:17 pm
I completely agree with the fact that other culture’s should be expressed and appreciated during Spirit Week, but when it comes to spirit week at our school, it seems as though it’s specifically centered on those individuals who are a part of a sports team. Majority of the students feel detached from the small population of students who participate in the Annandale sports program, and when Spirit Week comes along most feel as though the whole event specifically pertains to that small population. The SGA should work on building a connection between the large cultural gaps between the students.
Marcus Mavlian • Nov 6, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hi, I really enjoyed reading your article. Actually I enjoyed reading almost all of them. I am in love with your style of writing. For spirit week, I suggest that we, O I’m sorry, I mean you guys, sometimes I feel like Im still apart of the school. Annandale is my life! I will always be in Annandale. I suggest moccasin day, and college that you don’t go to sweatshirt day.
Dennis Monroy • Oct 26, 2009 at 9:58 am
My name is Dennis Monroy and I was in SGA for three years and I was SGA president during the first quarter of the 08-09 year, to be honest, Nothing works , it dosen’t matter what SGA does, taking points during lunch and awarding class money, or even doing raffles! Yes I think having a spirit day based on culture is a good idea , but it’s not like it hasn’t been done! during my first year of sga we had a culture day and did not receive great success. The hard truth is this, the ONLY way for most of the student body to participate in a spirit day activity is to have a spirit day that breaks the school rules ( ex. hat day, where everyone wheres their NY Yankees hats.) or when its a spirit day where the SGA gives away spirit day things, like beads, tattoos, or face paint. One way to solve this spirit day problem is to convince the school to let us have a spirit day the week before every pep rally, not just once a year , that way more people will get into the habit of having a spirit day, not just forgetting about it every year.