Every day I walk past the pep club board in the middle hallway. It is a bulletin board that holds every piece of information and detail you would need to know about the spirit days or upcoming pep club events.
This board tells time, places, and exactly what to wear to that event. Everything you would possibly need is right in front of your eyes. Now all you have to do is participate and have enthusiasm, but saying all of this makes me question whether or not people actually participate in these activities and spirit day?
I’ve reached out to the high school students to get their opinion about participating and their school spirit. In an anonymous survey sent to high school students, students complained about not being able to reach the requirement for that spirit day because it’s too complicated, cringy, or boring. Others said they forgot and need consistent reminders. Some even talked about the embarrassment, having a “too cool” attitude, and social pressure. Surprisingly, more of the students said that people didn’t care or want to be involved.
After getting those kinds of responses, I then popped the question. How could we change those opinions and get more people to participate in the pep clubs and spirit day? They suggested communicating more often and advertising way more than we usually would. Students asked for rewards. Other students suggested easier themes that are easy for everyone to participate in. Students repeatedly asked for their teacher to dress up more too.
I’ve also reached out to the high school teachers, and most of the responses mentioned how they feel weird if they dress up when most of their students don’t.
After gathering this information, I came to the conclusion as to why students as well as teachers should participate in spirit week and pep club.
Being involved in spirit days and pep club shows confidence. Like I said before, many people don’t participate in spirit week because they’re embarrassed to look “insane” and noticeable compared to everyone else. It is natural to want to fit in and blend in with the crowd, but let’s be real, there will always be judgmental people no matter what you do. Rather than being embarrassed, change your mindset. They wish they had your confidence, so dress up and have some spirit. You aren’t in high school forever.
Participating can inspire other people to get out of their comfort zone by doing so. Not only are you inspiring people but also becoming a leader to the school. I personally get inspired and very impressed when I see someone go all out for spirit week or pep clubs. I admire their boldness and leadership. Sometimes I even wish I went out more for spirit day. Many of the students I questioned would agree with me. The students commented that they love always seeing everyone dressed up. One anonymous student stated, “School is more bearable when we all get to look funny.” Another added, “It keeps everyone laughing and having fun the whole week.” Another said, “It brings lightness and laughter to the school day.”
By dressing up for spirit days, it also brings the school unity and community. Students come together, and it breaks social barriers, encouraging interactions among different groups. Looking silly brings laughter and brings new bonds with new people. I cannot express how many new friends I have because of spirit days. Even one compliment about someone’s outfit for a spirit day brought me a new friendship. It also spreads positivity and love. Students would agree with me. They mentioned how this is a great method of student involvement. One student even said that spirit days help unite the school, whether it’s for an important cause like saying no to drugs or just for fun. Spirit days celebrate our school coming together and having a chance to show pride.
My last reason is it’s just fun. By dressing up it offers a break from our usual school routines. I can admit, school can get stressful and really hard., but spirit days and pep clubs allow us students and teachers to take a break from all of that. When we all dress up together, we build a joyful environment. I would say school becomes more engaging and enjoyable too. It also motivates me to get dressed up in the mornings and be excited for the day and what is to come. Spirit week and the pep clubs are just fun. That reason alone should be enough reason to participate.
Susanne Feldman, math teacher at Fair Grove High School, said, “Spirit days are just a fun way to change up how people see you. For students it takes a lot of courage to dress “weird,” so I’d encourage them to make plans with a group of friends so they can feel like they’re not alone.”
One anonymous survey responder, a Fair Grove High School student, said, “We just need to remind everyone that high school is a limited time in our lives, and even though we may not always enjoy it now, we need to take advantage of the freedom that we have to have fun while we are here.”
Editor’s Note: The majority of quotes from this article were taken from an anonymous survey that was sent out by writer Isabel Bruner. Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes from this survey are from various Fair Grove High School students.
