As soon as you walk into school you can smell it. No, not the lingering scent from some kind of plumbing issue, the smell of school spirit!!! This year, Spirit Week begins October 4th and ends October 8th.  As a highly experienced senior, I thought I would take the time to share my wisdom with underclassmen.

Monday: Jersey Day

Although some may find this day to be boring, there is no excuse to not dress up! Wear the jersey of your favorite sports team. If sports are not your thing, then wear one from a television show or movie.

Tuesday: West Coast vs. Wild West

On this day you have a choice of outfit, you can either dress as a cowboy or a surfer/valley girl. Party City sells cowboy hats and other wild west accessories. If you decide to go the West Coast route, you can go for a more beachy look.

Wednesday: Coachella Day

For Coachella Day, think of what you would wear to a festival. On this day there is glitter everywhere. Whether you like it or not, you will go home with some kind of glitter on you. Glitter makeup is really fun to wear, and although messy, many people put glitter in their hair. If you are looking for a flower crown, I highly recommend going to Claire’s. Personally I have bought two flower crowns there for Spirit Week. Stick on jewels can also add to your look. As far as outfits go, flowy and boho looks are quite popular.

Thursday: Generation Day

On Generation Day, freshmen dress up as babies, sophomores dress up as toddlers, juniors dress up as adults, and seniors dress up as senior citizens. To dress as a baby, all you need is a onesie and some stuffed animals to bring to school. If you want to get a lot of attention, you can wear an inflatable baby costume. To dress as a toddler, wear a shirt with characters from kids’ television shows, bright colors, tutus, overalls, and fun jewelry. I wore a Barbie necklace from an old Halloween costume my sophomore year and got quite a bit of compliments on it. Friendship bracelets and candy jewelry are some fun accessories to wear. Wearing pigtails or bows in your air is also recommended. Juniors generally have the hardest time dressing up, but there are several ways to get across that you are an adult. The first look is pregnant mom. Just stuff a ball under your shirt and boom you have a costume. Yoga mom, tennis mom, and soccer mom have also been done in the past. Business attire or occupational outfits can also be easy to do. For example, if you work at Publix, just throw on your uniform. Or if your parents are doctors, you can come in scrubs. A lot of guys wear aprons or go for the classic dad look. Last year I came in leggings and an ultimate mom shirt that said, “Oops…Did I roll my eyes out loud?” Shoutout to Walmart to carrying a lot of these shirts that I honestly believe no one buys. All Magnet students excitedly await the day that they can come to school dressed as a senior citizen. Night gowns, hair curlers, gray wigs, pearl jewelry, and bathroom robes can be worn. Don’t forget to bring a purse full of butterscotch candy!

Friday: Wall Day

As the most important day during Spirit Week, you MUST dress up for Wall Day. Even if you get lazy on the other four days, today is not the day to slack off. Although I can’t give specific advice on this day, if you are having a hard time coming up with an outfit ask your class president what their vision is. People who do not dress up on Wall Day are simply losers. There is no other way to put it.

Tips:

• Shop at thrift stores! Buying outfits for five days can be expensive, so don’t hesitate to go crazy at your local Goodwill.
• Don’t wait till the week of Spirit Week to plan your outfits! To look your best, plan ahead!
• DIY outfits take some time to make, but they often look amazing! Your Spirit Week shopping trip should definitely contain a stop at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.
• Party stores include dress up items that you most likely won’t find anywhere else except online. There are Party City stores in West Ashley, North Charleston, and Summerville! Party Plan-It in Mount Pleasant may not be as large as Party City, but you can find some pretty neat stuff there!
• Halloween stores often have most of what you need, but at higher prices. Before you buy a costume or accessories at a Halloween store, check online or in other stores first to see if you can get the same thing for less money.
• If you are a freshman, look at old Spirit Week galleries on The Talon to get ideas for outfits.
• Get in character! It’s always hilarious to act your part, during Generation Day especially. Just remember to be respectful!
• Mr. McCormick always has the best Spirit Week costumes of all the teachers, so try to catch him in the hall to see what he is wearing!
• Keep an eye out for the senior spin offs! If someone looks like they are wearing a totally unrelated costume, chances are they are a senior. I didn’t know that seniors did spin offs my first Spirit Week at Magnet, so freshmen take this as your chance to not sound stupid by asking why the seniors are dressed differently.
• If you are reading this right now, it may be a little late to order online unless you pay extra for faster shipping, which can be quite expensive. If you want the jersey or cowboy hat above, just click on the images as they are linked to Amazon. Also don’t get on the online shopping loophole where you spend five hours looking at stuff you are not going to buy instead of doing homework. Spirit Week is fun, so don’t stress yourself out by getting behind on homework.
• Don’t forget that the Homecoming Game is on Friday, October 8th!