A prominent characteristic of Berkeley High School is the high intensity and spirit towards a select few school traditions. Days like the unofficial "Freshman Friday" and Red & Gold Day (often referred to as Rally Day) have gained recognition for generating lots of school spirit, and have become iconic symbols of BHS. Students often dress up and chant in the hallways and during lunch, with some chants historically targeting underclassmen. These activities can quickly escalate, shifting from school pride to violence and negativity.
However, the energy generated from those events hasn’t carried over into other school traditions. Many BHS events, such as the Homecoming dance, don’t receive nearly as much attention from students. The BHS school spirit that is focused on a few specific days of the year should present itself consistently, regardless of the specific event. Students should begin to put more emphasis on celebrating a wider variety of BHS activities, not just those used as an excuse to let loose for a day. By participating wholeheartedly in more events, the entire student body could generate more school spirit and welcome in a new generation of unified students.
Known for its over-the-top red and gold outfits, hallway chants, and photo ops, Red & Gold Day, which takes place at the end of Spirit Week, has become a very popular tradition among students. While Rally Day is looked forward to by many students, it’s become notorious for generating lots of chaos throughout the entire day. Despite the administration's attempts to crack down on the issue, Rally Day has also become associated with substance use during the school day.
Even though Rally Day generates excitement and acts as a way for students to show school pride, it can also quickly shift into an activity that creates more divisions.
School spirit at BHS is very inconsistent. Smaller BHS leadership-planned activities typically have lower attendance rates. Lucia Ortiz Lage, a BHS junior who previously served as sophomore class vice president, reflected on overall attendance that leadership’s activities generated last school year. “I definitely noticed there wasn’t much interest when it came to dances and new events,” Ortiz Lage said.
However, increasing school spirit isn’t something that can be done with a universal approach. It is unreasonable to ask students to commit to attending all BHS planned events. “I think that (BHS) is honestly too big to get the entire student body excited about the same thing," Ruby Katz, a BHS sophomore said, "I think there are a lot of activities and we do a good job at having something for everyone."
Showing up and being proud of BHS can look different for everyone. Finding activities that are fulfilling for each student can help to foster a more united BHS community that can show school spirit effectively, regardless of the specific event.