As UHS students quickly approached the two-month mark of the new school year, ASB and the student council finally launched their long-awaited week of festivities and fun: Spirit Week 2023. Running from Sept. 25-29, the lively week was packed with unique dress-up days, entertaining lunchtime activities and class competitions, ultimately culminating in Spirit Night on Sept. 28.
Lunch fests were one of ASB’s main focuses for Spirit Week, attracting anywhere from 60 to 100 onlookers and participants at the Crossroads. Many freshmen who had not experienced Spirit Week previously were especially eager to get involved at each event. Freshman Jasmine Chen is one such student who was impressed with the unification and liveliness that lunch fests promoted.
“Lunch fests give classes a friendly competition and a friendly atmosphere,” Chen said.
At 8:30 a.m. on Monday, the week officially kicked off with students arriving at UHS in a combination of Barbie and Ken-themed outfits. This dress-up day was inspired by the popular live-action hit and highest-grossing movie of the year, the Barbie movie, which came out in the summer of 2023.
Students gathered at the Crossroads to spectate Monday’s lunch fest, titled “Guess that Song.” As songs played on a speaker, representatives from each class battled to secure a spot in the chair in the middle, where they were allowed to guess the name of each song. Many students relished the chaotic nature of this event, particularly the adrenaline-inducing race to the chair in the middle, a classic aspect of UHS lunch fests.
In line with Tuesday’s theme, Rhyme Without Reason, UHS was filled with a variety of crazy outfits, ranging from duos sporting “Football Pro and Frat Bro” to “Jock and the Rock.” The main premise of Tuesday’s dress-up day was to wear outfits that rhyme with those of other students. Lunchtime featured a scavenger hunt that sent students rummaging through any backpack they could find. A designated ASB member would announce an item, and the class that presented the item first earned a point. Onlooking students had the opportunity to participate in the race, with the senior class finishing on top.
Wednesday’s dress-up day was inspired by the famous American actor and comedian Adam Sandler. As a result, many students and even teachers across campus were seen in outfits featuring the classic combination of a T-shirt, baggy shorts and sneakers. During lunch, students were greeted with a large display of watermelons for the watermelon-eating contest. The goal was to finish eating a portion of watermelon before a student from a different class could.
Although the main focus of Thursday for many students was Spirit Night, a pop of vibrance was added to classrooms by the class colors and pajamas abundant throughout the school day. Thursday’s lunch fest was named “Pass the Water,” featuring four individuals from each class who were blindfolded and tasked with passing water in a bucket backward along a line. Whichever bucket ended with the most amount of water in the least amount of time would win. After the lunch fest, sophomore council member Ansh Balasubramanian was already thinking ahead to the anticipated evening of Spirit Night.
“I was really excited when the sophomores won Thursday’s lunch fest,” Balasubramanian said. “It was a great way to build up hype for Spirit Night later that day.”
As the school day ended and students began heading home, council members stayed back to finalize their two-month-long efforts.
“My fellow council members and I spent three tireless hours grinding out our autumn Spirit Night setup, and it turned out incredible,” sophomore Micah von dem Bussche said.
Ultimately, many agree that every hour spent constructing, planning and meticulously painting was worth it. Spirit Night was a vibrant event filled with many murals and life-sized pieces of art and music, doubling as a fundraising event for both council and many clubs. There was a plethora of games and food at booths set up around the campus. A highlight of the night was one of the junior class’ structures: a huge Ferris wheel accompanied by a life-sized gingerbread house in the 200s buildings. Besides the season-themed structures and murals, senior Jennifer Kwon was also fascinated by the live music performances and contagious spirit of the night.
“I do remember seeing people perform at Spirit Night and I like that they kept the live performance aspect from previous years,” Kwon said.
In a haze from the activities and ventures of the previous night, many students went to school on Friday morning wearing blue for Trojan Army Day, signaling a gradual end to the eventful week.
Throughout Spirit Week, ASB and council’s dedication and creativity were constantly being put to the test, showcasing their commitment to creating a more inclusive community at UHS. The themed dress-up days and lunch fests were not only an opportunity to bring students together and encourage them to participate in competitions, but they also allowed students to appreciate the spirit and creativity of other classes during Spirit Night.
Spirit Week was a resounding success, and these events will be remembered as a highlight of the school year by all. For freshmen, it marked the exciting beginning of their high school journey. For seniors, it was a memorable climax of their four-year experience.
The final Spirit Week rankings go as follows: juniors left their mark in UHS history, finishing in first, followed by seniors in second, sophomores in third and freshmen in fourth.
