The sure sign of school life finally going back to normal is the HBA tradition of Spirit Week. This coming week, Spirit Week 2022 will finally take place after being postponed from January.

Last year, each grade came on campus on different days to complete their Spirit Week activities. This year, two grades at a time will gather in the gym for the Spirit Week assembly. Themed “Multiverse Madness”, this year’s festivities will challenge students to explore “what would happen if their favorite movies and TV shows had alternate universes where important moments happen differently.”

According to Aaron Omon, student council president, with the recent changes in COVID-19 restrictions, masks will be optional during games and Spirit Week events. “I think this will help Spirit Week feel even more like how it was before the pandemic. While the social distancing guidelines are much less strict these days, we will try to encourage students to remain at least three feet apart,” he wrote.

Planning for Spirit Week this year has not been easy for Omon. He wrote, “[It] has definitely been a challenge. After it was delayed back in January, the Student Council and I had to retrace our steps and make sure that everything we planned could still happen in April. However, with only a little more planning to go, we are looking forward to Spirit Week!”

Omon believes that Spirit Week is an important tradition and hopes that it will be a memorable event for the student body. “Spirit Week is a long-standing HBA tradition that I believe is important to have each year, especially during COVID. Because of hybrid learning and restrictions over the past two years, students haven’t had many opportunities to bond or even see each other in person. While Spirit Week is a friendly competition between the grades, it’s also the main event that brings people together in fun and school spirit. Seeing wacky Pepper Squad performances, doing various activities, and cheering with fellow classmates are all meaningful experiences that I think many students will cherish as they near the end of the school year,” he wrote.

For the latest in Spirit Week updates and schedules, students should check their High School Weekly Bulletin. There is also a modified bell schedule for the week. Grades 9 and 10 will have their assembly on Tuesday, grades 7 and 8 will meet on Wednesday, and grades 11 and 12 will meet on Friday. The dress up days are as follows:

Monday: Class Color Day (Wear one or more of the colors assigned to your grade.)
7th grade: black, green, brown
8th grade: yellow, red, black
9th: yellow, blue, gray
10th: orange, green, purple
11th: blue, green, orange
12th: green, white, brown
Tuesday: Holiday Dress-Up Day (Dress up as your favorite holiday.)
Wednesday: Future Career Day (Dress up as your career of interest.)
Thursday: Pattern Day (Wear clothes with patterns such as plaid, paisley, tie dye, stripes, etc.)
Friday: Heroes vs. Villains Day (Dress as your favorite hero or villain.)