Carlmont students began final review week on Monday, Dec. 6, marking the beginning of dreaded semester exams.
Although students have fallen into a dull rhythm of studying and even beginning their semester finals, they have found solace in the Associated Student Body (ASB) coordinated spirit week.
The spirit commission in ASB becomes very active in school events around the holidays, and one of the ways they attempt to raise morale is through said spirit weeks.
“The spirit commission plans spirit weeks and days and encourages active participation in school events. [Our goal is to] create an environment where people can have a fun and festive time at school,” said Samantha Kosman, a junior on the commission.
Spirit weeks typically consist of five days of concurrent themes. This week has featured Mocha Monday, Snow Day (Tuesday), Winter Wonderland (Wednesday), Grinch Day (Thursday), and Ugly Sweater Day (Friday).
“[My favorite themed day this week is] the Ugly Sweater Day. It’s fun to see what people wear at school,” said Adam Man, a freshman.
One thing students have found enjoyable is how their mind is taken off of the nearing final exams. They find the spirit days as outlets for them to express their joy during the holiday season.
“It allows us to be creative and express ourselves in a different way when we’re very limited to it because finals are very restricting and it has [put] a lot of pressure on students,” said Chloe Chun, a sophomore.
On top of organizing spirit days, ASB has focused on taking care of students’ mental health is by coordinating other events such as Dogs in the Quad at lunch on Thursday to help relieve student stress.
Students have also agreed that simply having a week of spirit provides a sense of comfort in a time where anxieties are high.
“Spirit week during review week makes it better because it’s a fun way to do something as a whole school. Also, it’s reassuring to know that everyone is going through the same stress and anxiety that you might have,” Man added.
Some students believe that the stress is still very much present in students’ minds, however, the spirit of this week has helped to cancel out some of that anxiety.
“I haven’t seen stress go down, because finals are coming up but I have seen the fun aspect of school become more prominent,” Kosman said.
Though school is growing more demanding as the semester nears an end, the spirit week has acted as a vital pressure relief valve.
“Having a spirit week is something that can help relieve stress,” Chun said. “It’s fun, you can get out of your comfort zone.”
