Academics? Check. Great staff? Check. School spirit? Yikes. According to niche.com, WHS is in the top five percent of best public high schools in America. This ranking is measured based on factors like student achievement on state assessments, graduation rates and college prep. However, there is a component missing from these rankings: the community that is built within our school. This component holds great weight in the quality of any school; it gives freshmen something to look forward to, and alumni something to remember.
A lot of the time, it feels like our community at WHS is built on a feeling of common struggle — whether it be classes or pressure. But imagine how different our experience could have been if we spent some of our energy building connections and memories instead of just high GPAs and a resume. Traditions and school spirit can be the transforming forces in building an educational experience that is a lasting source of memories.
Our most fond memories reflecting on our past four years are the times when we came together as a school in support of a common cause, like our athletic teams. The hockey final at Prudential Center, women’s soccer final at Kean and rival football games remind students the importance of camaraderie. It’s worth noting that these experiences are athletics-related — sports are practically our only source of school spirit and that is not enough.
As seniors nearing the end of our high school experience, we realize the importance of school spirit. Senior year is often glorified in cinema as “the best year” of people’s lives. What makes it so amazing? For many schools it is the senior-only traditions that underclassmen look forward to.
Unfortunately, WHS lacks school-wide traditions like spirit week, senior assassin and the senior prank, that make senior year such a desirable time. On social media, spirit week is depicted as a series of themed days where students go all out in costumes with their friends.
TikTok and Instagram posts glorify spirit week at other schools, creating expectations for our own school — expectations that are not met. Instead of decked-out costumes worn by all students, WHS spirit week consists of low-effort outfits worn by a minority of students.
While activities like senior assassin and senior pranks are more controversial, they are traditions that American high schools have had little to no issues with over the years. So, why can’t we participate without any issue?
Our hope is that in coming years, WHS students take initiative in building school spirit by being prideful about their town. The only way that we’ll be able to enjoy the traditions other students across the country partake in is if the student body makes it clear that these things are a priority and are crucial to a strong community.