Spirit Week

One of the age old traditions of school is Spirit Week.  Right before the homecoming game (for us that has been basketball because we have only had a football team for two years), every school in America has this week where students dress in theme days.  There's Pajama Day or Superhero Day or Tacky Day.

How does dressing as a superhero show your school spirit?  On its own, it doesn't.  If I come to school on February 3rd dressed in my pajamas, no one is going to think, "Wow, look at how much school spirit Miss Hawks has."  Instead, they would probably call my mom (my emergency contact) to come take me to a home for the bewildered.  So, why was wearing my pajamas this week different? 

 Answer:  It was unifying. 

For all its distractions and schedule changing and chaos, Spirit Week serves a purpose.  It is the week when people realize that looking silly together is better than looking normal alone.  Since everyone is going to be dressed tacky, you attempt to be the tackiest.  No one feels silly until they realize they need to stop at the grocery store on the way home. 



A few years ago, a student put on her volleyball uniform and bemoaned how silly she thought she looked in her high socks and knee pads.  A wiser teacher than I was standing nearby.  She said, "You look like a volleyball player.  If you go on the court in your regular clothes, you will look silly."  The student happily skipped off to her game, knowing that this outfit meant she was on the team.  The look she thought was bad only a few minutes earlier became a mark of achievement. 

On Monday, I told my nephew that he was quirky.  After asking me what that meant, he didn't like it.  He didn't want to be quirky.  I said, "Well, that's too bad because it is why I like you."  My mom said to him, "Everybody is quirky, so there is nothing you can do about it."  We all think that being the same is what makes us normal when the reality is being quirky is what makes us normal - because everyone is quirky.  This should unify us every bit as much as dressing in school colors does.