23niors: Do they have spirit?
Senior Andrei Mangondaya during a jersey themed football game
As the first semester comes to a close, the senior class more than ever is gearing up to go to college and starting to think more about their life after high school. However another part of the senior experience is showing why your class is the best class through their school pride. The class of 2023 has not really lived up to that expectation so far.
At one point, there were weekly themes at the beginning of the year, but over time, it faded away. As of now, the last theme was dressing in neon or bright colors during the homecoming football game, which was all the way back on September 25. Since then, there have been no class themes.
“At the beginning of the year, seniors were doing a decent job at school spirit, but we’ve been lacking recently,” said senior Giann Abang, voted Most Spirited Senior on September 23. When asked about how he was voted, Giann said: “Nah, I don’t even know how I got it if I’m being honest.”
Now with Boys Basketball starting, maybe the popularity will kick back up like how it was during football season. But nonetheless, senior pride shouldn’t be confined to just sporting events. This class is certainty capable of pulling it off too, such as days like Country vs. Country Club.
The class of 2023, in my opinion, feels like a step down from the class of 2022, where it seemed like every day there was a theme: from leis for a Hawaiian theme to dressing as frat boys and sorority girls all ending in a water balloon fight at the end of the year.
Now, the current senior class definitely has had anything from having online/hybrid classes throughout COVID to walkouts, sit-ins, and other protests due to racial tensions and inequality within the district, state, and country. Though all those things would seem to be dividing forces one could argue that that is what has brought us together as a class. We’ve survived and endured all these trials and have still held together supporting each other in our times of struggle. For example, when our counterparts at Niles West protested against anti-Black remarks directed at students, Niles North held their own sit-in in solidarity, showing how Niles North can come together to support a common cause.
Now that the semester is almost over hopefully with some rest and time to think the class of 2023 will come back and show what it really means to be a Niles North Viking.
Miles is a senior at Niles North. He plays on the golf team and enjoys listening to motown.
Cynthia Fey • Dec 6, 2022 at 9:44 am
Thanks for this editorial, Miles. I agree that this year’s seniors are focused on what’s really important — their academic success and the inclusion and support of their classmates. Go, Class of 2023!! You have been through SO MUCH that the community is super proud of you. I’m also the parent of a senior at a neighboring school. Unfortunately, that school’s “Country Club” theme day was an offensive disaster, and their hazing issues reminded us of the worst of frats and sororities. Country clubs, frats and sororities are exclusive by definition. Dressing up to mock them or to imitate them is hurtful either way. I would invite you to consider all the other fun ways to celebrate school spirit that don’t include classism. Again, thanks for writing. You give us so much to think and talk about! Keep up the great work.