McQuaid Jesuit’s Spirit Week–usually a traditional occasion in late September–was held the week before Thanksgiving in November of 2020.

McQuaid Jesuit student morale has been at an all-time low this year due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. Students no longer seem as happy and excited in the halls; it looks like school is becoming more of an obligation or job to them. All of the Covid-19 guidelines continue to exhaust students since they prevent them from doing the things they enjoy in school, making McQuaid Jesuit’s Spirit Week of the utmost importance this year. Spirit Week made the learning environment more exciting; it gave the students a chance to express themselves, and it gave the students the chance to be part of the McQuaid Jesuit tradition.

Every year, McQuaid Jesuit’s Spirit Week is different due to the years’ conditions. It is always a surprise of what the themes are and how it is run. This year’s themes were Hawaiian/Beach Day, Lumberjack Day, Mismatch Clothing Day, Jersey Day, and McQuaid Black and Gold Day. Due to Covid-19, this year’s Spirit Week had to be different from last year.  

 Cooper VanMaaren, ’21 said, “Yeah because first of all no face coverings at all or anything like that. But I think every spirit week every year is different because, uh, we threw new themes in there. So even next year will be different. Like even if Covid isn’t around.”

Spirit Week means a lot to McQuaid culture. It allows the students to express themselves and to have fun with their brothers.

VanMaaren, ’21, said, “It kinda gives us the freedom to show who we are outside of school because we are kinda like all in dress code every day and whatnot, and it kinda just–it also just shows our school spirit.”

To be sure, the freedom to express oneself is an unalienable right, but to do it with one’s brothers has a deeper meaning because the McQuaid Jesuit sense of brotherhood.

McQuaid Jesuit’s Spirit Week gave students the freedom to express who they are, which allowed them to participate in the McQuaid Jesuit tradition.

In these troubling times of a Covid-impacted world, many opportunities and important experiences have been canceled, but the impact of the virus goes beyond the cancelation of sports, clubs, and other opportunities. Teenage mental illnesses, for example, have risen due to increased stress, fear, and loneliness. This year, the CDC reports 1 in 4 young adults aged 18-24 have struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts.

McQuaid Jesuit’s Spirit Week presented students with the opportunity to relax, be silly, and have fun, eliminating the stress and giving the students the occasion to express themselves.