“What about? What about? What about our color shout!”
But seriously, what about it? The last time I saw the entire school dressed out in school colors for spirit day was probably elementary school when my mom still picked out my clothes in the morning.
For at least the last three years, the school dances, dress-up days and sporting events at Carmel High School have been seriously lacking in student participation.
At the beginning of this school year, the ASB planned a fun-packed first day of school to try to recoup the lost Padre spirit.
As a senior arriving on campus, the first-day-of-school blues were erased from my mind as I proceeded from club fairs, to speakers, to class meetings and finally to the football field for a rally.
According to CHS activities director Leigh Cambra, the whole point of this action-packed first day was to get everyone involved and make it the best first day of school ever. And get everyone involved it did.
Sitting on the concrete steps of the football stands and looking around as our student body attempted to construct newspaper hats, I realized that this was probably one of the few times I had seen the entire student population fully participating in a school activity.
I left campus excited for the year to come because this first day of school opened the doors wide open for school spirit to flow readily and student participation to break the hinges off the door.
But that excitement came to a screeching halt when I walked into the Welcome Back Dance ready to show off my glowing, neon-yellow senior shirt and saw only a small portion of the school in attendance.
With just under a quarter of the 800 Carmel High students present, the administration called this dance a success. While attendance exceeded last year’s 160 students, this number will not satisfy me.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that the ten dollar admission to the dance might be better spent on one off-campus lunch, or maybe on a couple of apples to start the year off right with your teachers, but showing up at school dances is something you are supposed to do as a student.
In fact, as cliché as it might sound, some of my best memories come from fist-pumping to overplayed radio music at the school dances.
Next time you consider playing Skyrim over going to a school dance, or wearing dirty blue jeans instead of simply throwing on a spirit day costume, just remember this simple equation: Student Participation (School Dances+ Dress-up Days) – Worry (Laziness + Alone) = Best Year of High School Ever!
-Brittany File