While the week of Oct. 6 – Oct. 10 was filled with sentiment, enthusiasm, and memories for Staples’ seniors, it remained quite unremarkable for the underclassmen.
There seems to be an unwritten rule that spirit week is reserved for seniors and cheerleaders only. But if seniors, cheerleaders and superfans encourage everyone to dress up, then why does this “rule” still exist?
The lack of participation among underclassmen can be explained by a wide variety of reasons. For one, no one wants to be the only person participating.
“You don’t want to seem weird for doing it,” Elle Worobec ’28 said.
Additionally, some of the days are simply difficult to dress up for. Hannah Welling ’28, being a cheerleader, was required to participate. However, for this reason, she’s uncertain that she would dress up everyday otherwise.
“[I probably wouldn’t dress up] for all of them, but definitely for the easier ones to do,” Welling said. “Some of them are hard to accomplish if you don’t have all the materials or clothes.”
Some underclassmen just don’t feel the need to dress up. In fact, they view it as a positive thing for the upperclassmen – a chance for them to own the week.
“I think it’s fine that upperclassmen participate more than underclassmen, because that’s already a large portion of the school, and it brings their grades together,” Eli Abrams ’28.
Likewise, Worobec thinks it sets the seniors apart from all of the other grades.
“I feel like it’s nicer that it’s saved for being a senior, so that when you’re a senior it’s more special to do it,” she said. “You know who the seniors are because they’re dressed up.”
It is true that the seniors have a great time participating. At least, Kate Berkley ’26 did.
“I had so much fun doing spirit week,” she said. “I love seeing everyone’s outfits and picking out mine.”
However, she also wishes more underclassmen would participate. She recognizes the fact that other grades see it as a seniors-only event, but she thinks it’s a fun week for everyone to take part in.
“I think all people should dress up. Spirit weeks are so fun, and I always get so annoyed when I see people not dressing up because why wouldn’t you want to?” Berkley said. “I know people think it’s only a senior girl thing, but it’s not, it’s a whole school thing. The senior girls just dress up the most.”
Still, she can understand the underclassmen’s perspective in being uncertain whether enthusiasm in school spirit will be welcomed or judged.
“If I wasn’t a cheerleader, I definitely would’ve dressed up,” Berkley said. “As a freshman and sophomore, I don’t know if I would’ve gone as full out as I did, but as a senior, I definitely would’ve dressed up either way.”
Cheerleader Mia Tankel ’29 wishes it was more normalized for underclassmen to dress up so that she wouldn’t feel so alone in participating.
“I wish more people in the lower grades participated,” she said.
