This year’s spirit week, leading up to the Homecoming Dance, has implemented unique themes to great success at Hershey High School. Using non-traditional spirit day themes encourages students to think outside of the box and get involved in school spirit.
Tuesday’s theme was pajamas and comfortable clothes, which is always popular for students and staff alike. However, the remaining three days were more distinctive in their themes.
On Wednesday, students were encouraged to bring “anything but a backpack.” They rose to the challenge, bringing everything from shopping carts to toasters to trash cans. One student even pulled the tire off his car after he drove to school to use it instead of a backpack.
Traditional themes like sports jersey day or decades day can be forgettable. But the shared laughs and conversations that come up when someone walks into class with a laundry basket filled with their school supplies are what we’ll remember of our high school experience.
Thursday’s theme shared a name with the general homecoming theme: “Carousel of Memories.” Different grades dressed as different life stages, with freshmen as babies, sophomores as teens, juniors as middle-aged, and seniors as elderly people.
The quirkier the theme, the more room it has for individual student interpretation. Some students will simply wear an outfit that vaguely fits their grade’s assigned age bracket that they had in their closet, but others will go all out with gray hair and tweed jackets. That flexibility allows theme days to reflect the diversity in our student body.
Hershey High School has a history of implementing uncommon themes in school spirit weeks. In 2022, for instance, Hershey held “Coastal Granddaughter Day,” capitalizing on a micro-trend of the time, and 2023’s homecoming spirit week had a “Barbie-Heimer Day,” where students could dress in all black or all pink.
These themes encourage creativity and risk-taking, both traits we should hope to instill in young people. While participation in pure numbers may take a slight hit with a theme that requires more effort, the engagement and interest in school spirit rise exponentially.
As Hershey High School plans future spirit weeks, students should continue embracing the unexpected. The willingness to take risks on unconventional themes shows that Hershey understands what actually builds school spirit: shared moments of creativity and fun.
Mrs. Bean, Hershey High School’s Social and Emotional Learning Coach, often serves as a facilitator for students to give input to administrators. Students can share their opinions on spirit day themes with her by emailing [email protected].
