As the beginning of Spirit Week approaches, the Metea Valley student body is counting down the days until Homecoming on Sept. 30th. In anticipation for the dance, mustangs are coordinating not just their outfits for this special night, but what they will wear the week leading up to it as well.
Barbie versus Ken has been a favorite among students, and is the most anticipated spirit day for senior Charlotte Scultz, one of the many fans of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
“[I am most excited for] Barbie versus Ken,” Schultz said. “I don’t know why they made them fight each other. Also include Allan… I think we should all show up as Allan.”
Originating from alumni football games at universities, homecoming has always been an event full of pride and long-lasting memories. The implementation of spirit week at Metea exists to amp up this school spirit, stirring excitement in both the students and faculty. As the dance itself gets closer, creative themes encourage everyone to dress up and express their enthusiasm through silly outfits and hilarious photo ops.
Science teacher Vanessa Troiani is among one of the many teachers who value Spirit Week due to its ability to bring together an entire school community and raise excitement.
“…Spirit Week allows students to form a bond and an attachment to their school, it gets them excited about being present in school, and gives them something to look forward to and helps them make connections.”
Although she may not be a student, Troiani still has noticed the atmosphere surrounding Spirit Week and how students are responding. Activities such as Chalk the Walk and the pep rallies, created to further build the sense of community in Metea, are the most looked forward to as the Homecoming dance inches closer by the day. In her classes, she often hears conversations about the pep assembly and the anticipation for it.
Sophomore Jensen Trinko agreed with the enthusiasm surrounding Spirit Week, believing this year’s more unique and relevant themes have stirred up a much greater wave of anticipation than last year.
“…Last year was kinda basic, but I feel like a lot of this is more current to our year instead of just in general. Like, “Barbie and Ken”, the Barbie movie just came out and a lot of them are also more creative…”
However, not all students are excited for the dance itself. Many are looking forward to Homecoming due to the plans they have outside of the dance, in place of attending the Hollywood-themed extravaganza. Some students have scheduled dates or friendly gatherings to celebrate the magical night, but others have had to work around schedule conflicts the day-of, such as senior Laurie Sterzinger.
“I have a swim meet the morning of homecoming […] I’m not going to the dance itself because I didn’t particularly enjoy it in the past, and I’d rather use the time and money getting a nice dress for going to prom…I’ll probably go out with my friends the day after though, because who doesn’t like an excuse to do something fun.”
This year’s theme of ‘lights, camera, homecoming’ places a large emphasis on outfit choice. Colors, styles, fabrics, and silhouettes are the main focus of conversations as students excitedly show off their new gowns. Hair, makeup, and nails are also being discussed in an effort to feel glamorous for Metea’s red carpet. The conversations around wanting to feel confident for such an important dance have taken over the school, only further building up enthusiasm in teenagers.
“Yes I have been [excited], because planning everything with my date for what we are going to do before homecoming, and getting the dress, showing it to my friends and mom, is all very nice and it just makes you happy seeing the reactions.” sophomore Angelique Soto said.
Despite the fact that some Metea students are not attending the dance in exchange for more appealing personal events, most of the student population is still excited for a fun night full of great music and high fashion. With Spirit Week allowing for friend groups to put together matching outfits and unconventional looks, it’s safe to say that the collection of themes has reached its goal of reinforcing the sense of community inside the school. Days like Pajama Day justify showing up to school in fluffy pajama pants and baggy t-shirts, giving everyone a chance to feel comfortable during their classes.
Whether you plan to participate in Spirit Week and Homecoming or not, it still is absolutely clear that the two events both excite Metea’s students and bring them further together. Not only does this time of year start conversations between peers, but connects students as they share a bond over the school.
