One week every year, students get into the Paly spirit by donning their costumes on themed days, energetically answering the question "Hey Paly, how do you feel?" and participating in good, old class rivalry. Many students do not realize just how stressful planning spirit week is.
"We [the Spirit Comissioners], have worked so hard," said senior Brigid Hurn-Maloney, who is Spirit Commissioner along with senior Ryan Giordano and junior Alexis Medina. "The class presidents have put their backs into [planning Spirit Week]. It is all student run."
Student Activities Director Allye Davies has been working with the Spirit Commissioners to keep them on track.
"I have overseen as much as I can as far as selling and pushing [the Spirit Commissioners] to keep on a time schedule,"Davies said.
Preparations for Spirit Week have been under way since the beginning of the school year, according to Hurn-Maloney.
"I have spent more time in the SAO [Student Activities Office] than either I or Ms. Davies would like to remember," Hurn-Maloney said. "We spent a long time getting T-Shirt orders in and making sure [sales] are all organized. Since the beginning of the year, we have been organizing the different activities for Spirit Week like the lunch-time rallies."
The Spirit Commissioners also help the class presidents with T-shirt sales, spirit dances, and other plans for Spirit Week.
"I spent last weekend going around to all of the float building houses, and checking in on the classes and their progress," Hurn-Maloney said. "I look forward to another weekend of doing the same thing."
The Student Council decided to try a few new activities this year because of new staff and Spirit Commissioners.
"This year, we are trying to shake things up a bit," Hurn-Maloney said. "Spirit week has always been amazing, but because we have a new student government and a new Student Activities Director, we thought that we might as well try out some new activities. There will be some subtle changes and some more noticeable ones."
A new feature to the Monday rally is an eating contest between the classes. A representative from each class will eat as many Twinkies as possible. In the past, eating contests were not allowed because a student might get sick, but the Spirit Commissioners thought that eating contests should be allowed again, according to Hurn-Maloney.
"I thought some of the activities were boring before, so we decided to try [eating contests] out again," Hurn-Maloney said. "Besides, who doesn’t think eating contests are funny?"
Student Council is also trying to delay the take-down of the class floats so they can be displayed during the Homecoming game. The main problem with keeping the floats up during the game is that there is no one assigned to take them apart once the game is over, according to Davies.
The Blackout themed Homecoming dance will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21. All students attending are asked to wear black or dark-colored semi-formal clothing to contribute to the atmosphere. Student Council is especially excited that a DJ from the radio station 94.9 FM will be playing at the homecoming dance, according to Davies.
"[Blackout] was an idea [Student Council] had thought about last year, so we decided to use a similar idea," Hurn-Maloney said.
Davies is interested to see her first Spirit Week at Paly.
"I heard that [Spirit Week] is crazy and that most of the school spirit shown by Paly students for the entire year is during Spirit Week," Davies said.
After all the planning, Hurn-Maloney is excited to see how Spirit Week turns out and to enjoy the fun of the week.
"[Spirit Week is] a week dedicated to the students," Hurn-Maloney said. "It is a week to have fun, let your hair down and reflect a bit on the amazing school we go to. I love spirit week."
Spirit Week will take place all of next week, with rallies everyday at lunch, a morning rally on Thursday, and an after school rally on Friday, Oct. 20, before the homecoming game.