Westerville North spirit weeks are planned multiple times throughout the year, including those for homecoming and Faith Pruden, and of course, there are also themes each Friday for football Friday night during the football season like western and pink-out. School leaders such as class officers, student section leaders, and many teachers often encourage student participation in these spirit days. However, it is evident that not all students actually take part in dressing up.

   Colleen Lynch, a junior at Westerville North says she normally does not take part in school spirit weeks by dressing for the themes.

   “I think that some people have the energy in the morning to put on a costume and some people don’t. Some people prioritize other things,” Lynch said. 

   There is no doubt that going all out for spirit day outfits requires a lot of work, but some students (and teachers) are willing to do so.

   Dr. Ben Hartnell is a history teacher at Westerville North. He is known for his extravagant outfits every day of the year and naturally, he encourages his students to join him during spirit weeks.

   “I always encourage my classes to just let your guard down a bit and have fun,” Hartnell said.

   It seems that students prefer not to dress up or do so on different levels for a few reasons. 

   “I think it comes down to comfort level. Social media has changed a bit of it too, where some people are terrified if what they wear to school ends up on social media, whereas some people have no problem with it,” Hartnell said. 

   Many students like to be featured on the student section’s or the Odyssey’s Instagram page as well as Snapchat stories, whereas other students prefer not to have that kind of spotlight. Some, however, choose not to dress up for a different reason.

   “(The goal of spirit weeks are) to get people excited for sports events, but some people, including myself, do not care for sports,” Lynch said.

   Hartnell views the purpose of spirit weeks as something for more than just sports.

   “Usually, there’s an underlying reason behind the spirit week, and it’s meant to draw attention to it, but it’s also to have fun and just bring the student body together,” Hartnell said.

   Nunaa Tsikata (12) is one of the four student section leaders this year. She and the other leaders help plan themes for spirit days.

   “We try to be more original just because we don’t want to do the same things every year. I feel like it’s good to start early and get involved. Having a group of friends dress crazy are memories you’re going to remember,” Tsikata said.

   She acknowledges that not all students show the same school spirit.

   “It’s out of a lot of peoples’ comfort zone to come to school wearing outrageous clothes. I think getting your friends involved is key. If a lot of the school is involved you’re going to want to participate as well,” Tsikata said.

   Although Westerville North students and staff have different levels of participation, spirit weeks are meant to bring people together, not create divisions.

   “Spirit week is supposed to be about being excited for the event on hand, it’s not meant to isolate people and point people out,” Hartnell said.

   “We create that bond and have a good time. It’s our first year back. Let’s make it our best yet,” Tsikata said.