By Ben Haideri ’14
“Live as if you would die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” This quote by Mahatma Gandhi encapsulates the idea behind school spirit because school, between seventh and twelfth grade, is as much about intellectual growth through experience as it is through education; without one, the other has much less weight. The living “as if you were to die tomorrow” segment of Gandhi’s quote, had it been about school, would have been an ode to the capability that extracurricular activities have in changing the lives of participants for the better. This week is all about the power and reward of creating a balance between academics and experience.
There is another well known saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” We can study the proverbial art of fishing by looking at photos watching videos, or reading books, but until we are given a chance to go out and fish, the reward will never be the same. That is why physics class is not the same without going to the catapult contest held every year through the Classics Club, nor is English the same without writing for the school newspaper, nor is Government and Politics the same without partaking in Model UN or debate.
When viewed at the right angle, we can see that all of these aforementioned clubs act as a bridge to connect school to reality. In a bridge, there is a piece towards the top called the “keystone.” The centerpiece of the bridge, this part is considered to be what holds the bridge together, and what keeps it strong for such a long period of time. For all of those preparing for standardized tests, here is a little analogy: the bridge is to after school clubs as spirit day is to the keystone. Most clubs after school do not overlap, and we rarely get a chance, as a whole school, to see them in action. Spirit Day gives us that chance. Clubs run circles around the gym over the years, show that Spirit Day is a time during which all animosity, all exhaustion, and all worries are forgotten. Talent is displayed, and the hard work of groups let students to prepare a routine during a relatively small period of time is also shown.
Spirit Day is a time during which everyone holds a part of the everlasting bridge, whether they are in the form of trophies, murals, performances, and more, up in the air, and show what we have worked so hard to build. All of the pieces of that bridge, when held up in partnership create one strong showing of unity, and that unity, that partnership, is only at its strongest when Spirit Day is in fact a day of positive spirit.