As students stay up late at night putting the finishing touches on their outfits for Spirit Week, the last thing they want to do is type a 500-word essay on the effects of global warming. Many students, from middle-schoolers to seniors, can hardly contain their excitement when Spirit Week rolls around, so when teachers assign mile-long assignments every night, the fun and craziness of the spirit-filled week is completely zapped.
The truth is that not many students will actually put the time and effort into any homework during Spirit Week as a result of the constant time crunch to gather all of the clothing and accessories they need to become the perfect Batman or Minnie Mouse. Spirit Week even includes a competition for some students as to who can come up with the most creative idea for a costume. Students also know that the most elaborate and unique outfits are featured in the yearbook, which drives them to focus more on styling, and less on writing.
But for juniors and seniors, the pressure to finish their homework is even greater, especially on Thursday night of Spirit Week. For as long as students can remember, this particular Thursday night has been host to Powderpuff — the most anticipated annual event at which upper class boys and girls play football and cheer. Despite the fact that upperclassmen are the participants in this event, it is one popular to attend among the majority of students.
Although some teachers are considerate enough to assign tests and quizzes on the day of Powderpuff itself, it isn’t uncommon for students to rush home in order to study for a big Advanced Placement World History test on Friday morning.
Teachers should be more lenient with assigning homework and tests during the course of Spirit Week. It isn’t fair that students have to choose between sporting school spirit and participating in a school-wide event or keeping their GPA’s intact. Students at this school are exceptionally diligent with completing assignments and handling large workloads. A week of clean fun and more free time is much deserved.
