Will the Class of ’13 win Spirit Week?

by Sam Kelley

Published October 25, 2012

With Spirit Week in full swing for Palo Alto High School, old class feuds are being awoken, most of which are centered around the problem of a rigged judging system (i.e. the seniors always win).

For every year there has been a week of spirit, there has been a winner, and that winner always happens to be the seniors (with the exception of seniors purposely throwing Spirit Week). Whether seniors always win because they have the most spirit, or more sinister forces are at work, Paly will never know for sure.

“This year ASB [Associated Student Body] will tally up the points in a more transparent way so that the system can’t be rigged,” Junior Class President Audrey DeBruine said.

I’m glad that there’s still such optimism in the world, but after years of seniors racking up the big wins, I’m doubtful. It sounds like this is just a more outright way of presenting a rigged system. Nothing short of the creation of a judicial body of ASB, with judges to serve for life, will keep this week clean.

Since Spirit Week began, Paly has bestowed upon itself with a vicious cycle in which no class but the seniors can win, regardless of spirit. But as the most refined products of Paly’s rigorous education, seniors earn their right to a win Spirit Week after three years of consecutive losses. Every class deserves some recognition for four weeks of dressing up based off of ludicrous themes.

So, in my opinion, Spirit Week should go to the seniors, regardless of how much their theme stinks this year.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting on stories.

C

I disagree. I’m a junior and I would have liked to come in first or second last year even with the trade off being that my senior year I would not be guaranteed a win. And I think that, should their spirit continue to be of the same quality their senior year, the class.of 2015 should lose to the class of 2016.
- Bob
  
  woah there the class of 2015 should NOT lose to 2016
  - Owen Dulik
    
    yes, they should. 2016 represent
- Spencer
  
  It’s unfair for the current seniors, who would not be guaranteed a win after years of being unable to win. Any year that you make the switch, it means you are giving all other classes a greater number of years to win spirit week than the current seniors get, and making that switch this year means that the current seniors could be deprived of a win that they fairly earned last year, until Unity Points happened.
senior

as a senior, i’d rather have it not be rigged. what’s the point of winning if you didn’t even earn it?
Student

Hey Sam – Mr. Hall would love to show you the score sheets because as much as the seniors tried to get ASB to rig this year, it’s not happening. I dare you to look at the score sheets and still say it is rigged because there’s no loopholes this year – if the seniors win, it’s fair, just like your win will be.
- Joe
  
  Perhaps not rigged but some of the scoring is still super subjective. Like how do you score best dressed? Is there really a big enough distinction between the classes to award a 1st/2nd/3rd/4th place? Seniors have won 1st or 2nd every day. Or cheers. Why does one class only get 75 while the other gets 200? Seniors have gotten 200 every day.
  - http://www.facebook.com/jugglesensei Matt Hall
    
    When you have humans judging events like the ones we stage, subjective is the perfect word to use. Do you have an alternative? Scoring by robots, perhaps? If you want to have a competition, and you want to have judges, then this is how it works. Even in the Olympics, with precise criterion and standards, you get subjective results (see Ice Skating or Gymnastics). The other option, perhaps, is a Spirit Week without judges. How would that look?
- Sam Kelley
  
  Im confused, are you confirming that the class of ’14 will win Spirit Week next year (that would prove one of my two points)?
http://www.facebook.com/jugglesensei Matt Hall

Dear Sam,

Of course, this is an opinion piece, so you’re more than welcome to your opinion. Opinions vary. Facts, on the other hand, are a different matter. When everything is all said and done, come and see me. I have some evidence to show you that it’s not rigged. You can bring your evidence to show that it’s rigged. Let common sense and intellectual honesty prevail. And be prepared to admit you were wrong….
- Sam Kelley
  
  Thank you for your comment. I think you misunderstood the point of this article. It wasn’t to criticize ASB and their efforts of unrigging spirit week; I believe that it’s just not possible. This is due to the immense precedent of senior victories and just how spirit week works. For instance, seniors always play freshman in the first round of every activity, which practically guarantees the seniors at least second place. So while you can even the playing field to a degree, the seniors always have an advantage. I apologize for not stating this in my original article, and while I would have no problem defending myself in person, I feel no need to considering you just publicly accused me, a student of Palo Alto High School, of lacking “common sense and intellectual honesty.”