As I have gotten older, I have become increasingly fond of assemblies. Some of my favorite days of high school have included stepping into school surrounded by a swarm of green and gold. The hallways always seem to be a bit brighter and the students within it a bit more cheerful.

And so as my affection for these days has grown, I have also become increasingly confused by the students who choose not to participate. I understand that some forget to dress up in a specific t-shirt and do not make a conscious decision to wear another color, but I know many who actively decide not to wear green and gold.

On this past month’s pride assembly day, I was surprised to see how many of my classmates were not wearing school colors. As a senior who was experiencing nostalgia over her last high school assembly, I was disappointed that others did not feel the same appreciation for what I considered such special days.

Often times when I asked these students why they chose not to wear green and gold, they responded with some variation of “spirit days are stupid” or “I don’t like spirit days.” Maybe the enthusiasm and excitement that comes with our assemblies isn’t for everyone, but it is something that we should all at least try to embrace.

I regret the times that I chose to avoid participating in school spirit as a shy underclassman. If you don’t think that dressing up in green and gold is all that exciting, or even if you think it seems annoying, give it a try. The community in our school is incredibly enthusiastic and supportive, and there is nothing “stupid” about celebrating that.