In my years wandering through the breezeways and observing school culture, one thing stands abundantly clear: our student body has no sense of fun.
I have never met anyone who doesn’t have at least a tiny part of them that enjoys dressing up in weird, wacky and tacky outfits. Why else is Halloween still around today? At our core, humans love to be different, and in today’s age of tolerance, there’s no feasible way to overextend oneself in this regard.
Personally, one of the best parts of the early months of the school year is spirit week; when else can I show off my impressive hat collection or my socially unconventional outfits? Spirit week is the time for that strange shirt, that crazy cap or those showy shoes to finally waltz out of the wardrobe and see the shining sun. Why then, do I see no one dressing for the occasions?
Anytime I ask someone, “Why aren’t you dressed up?” I always receive the same type of response. First, they try to claim that their outfit does fit the theme. This is then followed by an apologetic statement of either being too busy or too uninformed. Lastly, they’ll make some remark about how the themes of the week weren’t great anyway. This is inexcusable.
This school is run by people – of course there are problems. That’s just a simple fact of life. Yes, there are things that can be improved upon. However, spirit week is not something that requires a student to decide what themes are good or not. That’s what the SGA and the principal are for. Instead, it is a time to pack up that pride and let loose those loony linens.
I will be the first to admit that I have no sense of fashion. Rarely do my colors blend or my patterns match. Even rarer is me knowing anything about my outfit besides whether it fits or not. But if I can wear my mismatched items with Titan pride, then everyone else can too. Spirit week is supposed to lay the red carpet for Homecoming. It’s like a countdown to kickoff, with the themes serving as numbers. By not joining in the fun, the opportunity to have a uniquely different day is wasted.
Then come the complaints that school is no fun because they never do anything to try and make it fun – hypocrites, one and all. If you don’t make the most of the entertainment provided, then you shouldn’t be complaining about your boredom. Stop dissenting and start relenting. Let go of that which holds you back. If everyone just participated, spirit week would be the most enjoyable event of the entire year. No one would have anything to say about how someone dressed, because they were there in equally absurd clothing.
By far the most upsetting thing about this season is when someone in their lame, everyday outfit shames someone who was just trying to have fun. If you don’t want to be involved in something, don’t get involved. Mocking other students won’t make your laziness any more justified, and it certainly won’t make someone remove their fit just to put back on sweatpants and a t-shirt with a band they’ve never listened to.
I implore you all: get some fun in your life. Or better yet, get some life. It doesn’t take much to change how you perceive the world, and I can personally guarantee that smiling at every opportunity makes a world of difference in your daily life. Dare I say it will boost your… spirit.
