A curious incident occurred the week of Halloween at Ridge. While strolling down the hallways of Ridge High School, one might have gotten lost in a parade of patriots or zealous fans of America. While swimming through a crowd of energetic students, one might have gotten carried away by hordes of students dressed in leis, grass skirts, and coconut bras. Even while taking a sip at the water fountain, one might have noticed the sea of green and white moving through the school. Yes, Ridge just had a High School Musical moment when the Senior Spirit Week took place four weeks ago!
It is true that an event like the Spirit Week does not earn anyone academic credit or prepare anyone for college, but students are always pumped up to express their unstoppable enthusiasm for their high school.
The event itself is not popular for no reason, so what exactly is the drive behind the seniors’ feverish excitement? Tiffany George ’15 remarks, “Well, this is truly my last year here in Ridge and I’m pretty sure all seniors want to make their last year here ‘fantabulous’ before going off to college!”
Spirit Week, like what the name suggests, encourages the use of spirit items and costumes as a free expression of total school support. Students can definitely have a competitive spirit in showing off the pride of their school while focusing their energies and attention on events other than academic accomplishments.
Students have way too many things to deal with, especially for seniors, all thanks to college applications and concerns about GPAs. This is why the Spirit Week has existed as a tradition for years; while students stay connected and continue to strengthen their bonds to the school, they are welcomed to redirect themselves from studies.
Richard Valente ’16 observes, “I am not a senior, but it is definitely amazing to see how many spirited seniors we have here. I am hoping to see a cheerful bunch from our grade next year, but now I have to get all my junior year business done.”
Spirit Week serves as a unifying force rather than a distraction because it brings together a multicultural and diverse student body. Spirit Week is not only about dressing up eccentrically for a week, but also about creating a sense of belonging and experiencing youth by showing support for their high school.