HAMILTON: Students claim lack of support for spirit days

Student: administrators denied variety of themes for spirit week

by David Kilby, Special Writer
HAMILTON — Students at Hamilton West High School have lost faith in administrators when it comes to support for showing school spirit during Spirit Week, which was celebrated Nov. 25-27.
   At the Hamilton Board of Education meeting on Nov. 20, George Koutsouradis, Hamilton West High School’s representative to the board, said his high school has always been known for the fun things it does and its school spirit, and a lot of that has to do with pep rallies and Spirit Week.
   However, when the student council presented ideas for Spirit Week to school administrators, most of their ideas were shut down. George said administration at the school didn’t specify any reasons except that the ideas were inappropriate.
   One of the suggestions was superhero day, where kids would have come dressed up as Superman or Batman, and it was specified that the costumes couldn’t include masks or weapons.
   Other suggestions included mix and match day and patriotic day, creative hair day and decade day.
   He explained that 120 students were involved in offering suggestions, and the student counsel narrowed them down to “eight solid suggestions” for Spirit Week.
   Class colors, sports day and creative hat day were the only suggestions that were approved.
   ”We’ve never had so many of the ideas the students wanted denied,” George said to the board.
   ”It’s a shame, especially for the senior class. We’ve taken a lot of joy in (Spirit Week),” he said, adding that it’s disheartening when they don’t get support from administration. “They’ve lost faith in the administrators.”
   Board president Jeff Hewitson said he is interested in opening up dialogue with the students more, and said he appreciated that George brought this issue to the board’s attention because there’s no way for them to know everything that’s going on in the schools.
   Reached by phone Monday, Dr. Tilson Sills, principal of Hamilton High School West, said in response that the school is very supportive of its students’ efforts to exhibit spirit.
   ”There was no lack of spirit,” Dr. Sills said. “We support the students 100 percent in all their activities.” He added further that he felt George was a “little overzealous with his enthusiasm” in reporting the issue to the board.
   Managing Editor James McEvoy contributed to this story.