Walking through the halls, one wouldn’t think anything is amiss. Other than the few outliers wearing similar clothing that can typically be chalked up to a coincidence. The only thing that differentiates this from any other week is the faint whispers of “wait, today’s a spirit day?” that can be heard throughout the halls. The reality of the situation is nothing like the stereotypical ideas that come to mind when individuals think of school spirit. Is this apathy toward school spirit simply a phase that will fade as students become more involved with school, or is this disinterested mindset here to stay? 

The only way we see school spirit persevere is through athletic-tied activities. For general school spirit activities, no one really cares. The only times when students actually participate or show interest is for Homecoming, but even then, the general enthusiasm is much lower than it used to be. Sports generally garner all of the limited school spirit available. Of course students should be enthusiastic about sporting events, but the cheer generally fails to extend beyond that limit. Even if students do feel they want to participate in these activities, many often shy away from it because of the existing lack of participation. Most students don’t want to stand out and be the only one dressed up, so the general disinterest of the majority causes many to avoid dressing up for spirit days in the first place. 

Some might believe it’s general disinterest from the student body, but quite a few students argue that it’s not a lack of spirit, but a lack of interest in the events. Oftentimes, the spirit days feel predictable. There’s an assortment of interchangeable days that become the default, which can tire students out when they aren’t a fan of the days to begin with. Class colors, pajama days, this is our house days are recurring, and for many, the repetition breeds disinterest. If it feels like nothing is new, then students feel no need to participate because they don’t believe they’re missing out. When spirit days were more unique with Red Ribbon week and there was an “anything but a backpack” day, there was an abundance of participation atypical to the usual scene. Students were inspired and enthusiastic about something actually different, not the generic days they’ve grown tired of. For many, until the days change and become more creative, they won’t be participating.

Whether it be general disinterest, boredom with predictable spirit days, or unwillingness to stick out, there’s clearly a sense of disinterest that’s only increasing. Unless more people choose to participate and pave the way for others, or spirit days become more creative, it seems that school spirit will be a thing of the past.