From Pajamas to Pop Culture: Whitney Young’s Spirit Week Shakeup

Just like most other high schools, Whitney Young has had a spirit week for several decades, including classic school spirit days where students show their school spirit in a sea of blue and orange, themed days (e.g. twin day where students can dress in the same close as a close friend), and the iconic class color day in which Seniors have the exclusive right to dress in black. 

However, a surprise came to Whitney Young when in the weekly of October 15th, Pajama day was replaced with Barbenheimer and Adam Sandler Day. According to teachers, Pajama Day has been a part of Whitney Young for at least 15 years, and in many schools, this has been one of the most memorable days of Spirit Week. Pajama Day was originally introduced to schools to make students feel more comfortable and cozy during the day. However, times have changed. 

In a group chat that was discussing this new change, senior Arushi Virmani commented, “It’s ridiculous. That was my favorite day and it saved me time in the morning. Nothing can or should replace that”. In response, Srishti Kolla, the fundraising chair of Student Council, said “Yeah that’s why we removed it, because people wear pajamas every day and it’s not special anymore.”

Once the pandemic started in 2020, students felt more comfortable attending remote classes in pajamas straight out of bed, without much of an incentive to get ready, as they weren’t stepping out of the house. After the remote learning and virtual classrooms ended, pajamas, which once seemed taboo to wear to school, became acceptable. Students have begun to realize their practicality and convenience in a classroom setting. Skye Flowers, a student at Whitney Young, said “It’s way more comfortable during the day and way less effort in the morning”
According to Rachel Yoon, president of Student Council, this decision was the result of the desire to give new options to the student body at the school. While some students were excited about the newer days that reflected changes in pop culture, others missed the sense of nostalgia it brought, especially when many students had a day dedicated to wearing pajamas since they were in elementary school. 

Either way, Whitney Young’s spirit week this year was fun, festive, and exciting. Sometimes change is a good thing, and it’s great that our school is reflecting many of the changes in student culture.