Homecoming week – like at all schools – is a special time for all students and staff at Science Hill. Historically, the week before the Homecoming Football game has been a dedicated Spirit Week to elicit excitement and suspense for Friday’s big game. During the week, students are seen dressed in crazy outfits, Homecoming Queen Candidates are rallying votes, and clubs are preparing for “the best parade float yet”. Yet again, the 2024 Homecoming Spirit Days did not disappoint as creativity ran rampant through the halls of Science Hill.
The Student Government Activities Board chose our Spirit Day themes this year. Here’s what they came up with Monday/Pajama Day, Tuesday/Tacky Tourist, Wednesday/Character Day, Thursday/ Country VS Country Club, and Friday/Topper Spirit Day. Although themes are set for students, there is no lack of creative freedom for anyone, and it shows! On pajama day, a large part of the Science Hill lady toppers Soccer Team chose to wear Buccee’s shorts – a trending gas station get-up – along with many others spotted in the hallways. Similarly, students took the tacky tourist and ran with a tropical vacation style. Some teachers were even spotted “lost” in the hallways with giant maps. Wednesday was particularly memorable as students and a large number of teachers dressed as different characters and even each other! Coach Price, our resident expert on all things chivalric, and his history buff next-door neighbor Mr. Lewis decided to dress a Science Hill student for the day. When asked how they stuck to the theme, Lewis replied “Well, my students are the characters”. Both copied clothing trends seen in their classes like gym shorts, chains, Stanley cups, and Crocs. “Yeah, I would say 60% of the male and female students wear this outfit”, Mr. Lewis. Country vs Country club took place on Thursday where. The battle of Country vs Country club ensued on Thursday where both overalls and polo shirts were seen in frequency amongst the Science Hill Population. Lastly, Topper Spirit Day distinguished all four grade levels with different colors associated with each.
Regarding how spirited Science Hill is, it is clear that some grades participate more than others. The common trend is that the senior class seemingly tends to “show out” more than anyone else because “As they get closer to leaving high school, they get more nostalgic which leads to an increase in their school spirit.” When talking to other students, they also mentioned that more teachers dressed up this year and that “it’s fun to see the teachers participating, it makes class a little more exciting”. Freshmen also seem to take the spirit days more seriously than the rest of the school. As for the rest of Science Hill: Step it up!
Although it may only seem like a good time, Spirit Week also positively benefits the Science Hill environment. Coach Price believes that it is important to dress up for Spirit Day because “it shows that you’re interested in what’s going on at your school.” It has been proven that school populations that show more pride in their schools tend to be more involved in the classroom and surrounding community. This can be seen with Science Hill having such an extensive amount of service and club-oriented activities intent on making Johnson City and Science Hill a more positive environment for everyone. Similarly, school spirit tends to correlate with the self-esteem levels and overall happiness of the student population. The message is clear; School Spirit is a game changer and Science Hill has plenty of it! Keep it up, Toppers!
