Now that Red/White Week has kicked off, Manual students are preparing their spirited costumes and outfits for each themed day. For the upperclassmen, this is a routine they’re quite familiar with. The students know that each Red/White Week, there is always Costume Day, Doomsday, and a class theme day for the pep rally on Friday. Every year, the student body looks forward to the remaining two Red/White Week themes, in hope that they will be creative and fun to demonstrate. Instead, the remaining two themes are common themes that the students have had to demonstrate too many times. 

This year, our remaining non-traditional themes are Twin Day, as well as a some-what new theme, spirit day. In the past, class themes and spirit day were combined on Friday. Those who chose not to participate in the class theme were encouraged to wear their Manual spirit wear. This year, aside from the other years, now features a completely separate day for class themes. I feel that this was a poor decision. I don’t see the point in having a costume day on Monday, then a class theme day on Wednesday. Students must now spend the time and/or money to create or buy two costumes: one for costume day and one for the class theme day. 

I want to also point out the pointlessness and overuse of “twin day.” Twin day is a day where two students are encouraged to look and dress the same. What I have trouble understanding is this: besides for the brief moment they’re together and take a photo to post on Instagram or Twitter, how will other students know who has a twin? Most students will likely dress in basic, common clothing that everyone else owns. It will be nearly impossible to tell whose twin is whose, especially considering the fact that we have block scheduling, and the twins will separated for most of the day. Let’s not leave out the fact that twin day has been a common theme among all schools for a very long time. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, we had twin day as a part of our spirit week. That was six years ago. 

“I think I can speak for many when I say we’re all getting pretty tired of it,”Aubrey Elliot (12, J&C) said. “It’s somewhat generic and it’s the day I personally get least excited for. Something more unique should be picked in place of twin day in the future to make Red/White week more enjoyable.” 

I believe that the seniors were the most upset about this theme. It is our last year to enjoy Red/White week, and the last thing we want is to be disappointed. 

“We could’ve had something more creative than twin day,” Shai-Ann Vera (12, MST) said. “Like last year, we had Disney day.”

Our school has a variety of students, all diverse creative in their own ways. That’s what our school is known for. I think that it’s time for our Executive Council to be creative as well, by coming up with more unique, well-thought-out Red/White week themes for our school and drop the basic themes that we have year after year. After all, this is only the most important and most anticipated week of the entire school year.