Changes in Spirit Week

Changes in Spirit Week

Adena Etaat, Staff Writer

Adding a sense of excitement and spontaneity to the daily humdrum of high school students, Spirit Week provided a splash of color to culminate the hectic first few months of school. The recent changes towards Spirit Week made the ultimate goal of winning more competitive and exciting, as each class worked cooperatively to unite towards a common goal.

The newest addition to Spirit Week was the Hallway Battle, an activity in which each class chose a theme and spent hours decorating an assigned hallway to resemble that specific theme.

The juniors, who placed first, showcased the theme ‘Super Juniors,’ because, in the words of artist junior Lenor Levy, “We wanted to showcase the incredible strengths our grade has, via the theme.” Walking through the hallways, students were surrounded by flying superheroes and photographs of the class hung across the hallway. Each hero displayed a different power: Wonder Woman with her paintbrush and palette, Spider Man with his football and helmet, and Captain America with his apple “pi” shield.

The sophomores chose the theme ‘Sophomore Stars,’ and received second place as a result of their efforts. As students walked down the red carpet stretching throughout the whole hallway, iconic stars were displayed on lockers, with classroom doors representing V.I.P dressing rooms.

The seniors, placing third, had a carnival theme, letting off an amusement park-like atmosphere, as if students were walking through an actual carnival!

Lastly, the freshmen, placing fourth, chose a ‘Fiesta’ theme, filling their hallways with green, yellow, and red decorations, expressing a festive South American tone.

Mrs. Miller, student office advisor, said that the “hallway battles amped Spirit Week up,” with many students putting in hard work and dedication. Evidently,  the addition of the Hallway Battle was a great way to unify students, which achieved the sole purpose of Spirit Week.

A change that sparked both interest and irritation in many students was the scoring of the can drive. “Due to the unprecedented amount of cans from the can drive from the sophomores, the event has been given a point value just like any other event in Spirit Week,” declared Mrs. Miller. This was the most successful can drive Great Neck North has ever seen because in total, the classes donated almost 2,000 cans.

The sophomore class collected almost 800 cans, winning first place, but received 50 points and a 10 point bonus for the inspiring amount of cans brought in. Frustrating for the classes who went above and beyond to not get half a point for each can, it has come to the realization that without modifying the point system, it makes Spirit Week and the goal of winning unattainable for other grades. In the end, ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ this event was insignificant, for students should be proud of the amazing contribution towards the church.

There had also been numerous minor changes regarding Spirit Week. Previously, the Advisor Games had been outside after school, with students rushing to the front lawn. The Advisor Games now, however, took place during pep rally in the big gym. This minor shift now allowed students to enjoy the games during school, instead of after, exhilarating all students and staff alike. Additionally, each day, the S.O. decorated the hallways to correlate with the theme of the day, adding a splash of spirit onto the walls. For example, on Blazer Day, students walked into school admiring the blue and orange colors that epitomized the Great Neck North spirit.

These changes were powerful, positive benefits that each student should embrace. The numerous alterations triggered progress. Senior Class Advisor, Ms. Nastri thinks “that it has been the most successful Spirit Week she’s been in.” She is very proud of the student and staff participation in each event. Ms. Nastri is not the only one with this thought, as Mrs. Miller said that there was “a lot of positive feedback from student body and administration saying this year’s Spirit Week was much more successful than others.”

It is evident that change can be very impactful, as students and staff are thrilled to share their first impression of the modified Spirit Week, thrilled to see what is to come next year.