When we all arrived at school on Wednesday, April 20, the hallways were filled with things that looked very out of place. Instead of backpacks, students brought laundry baskets, shopping carts, desk drawers, wheelbarrows and even a refrigerator door to hold items typical of a backpack. Each person I passed in the hallway seemed to have a more creative idea than the next. Naperville North experienced so many more smiles and laughs, and far more school spirit than I have ever seen before. Who knew that something so simple could make a boring Wednesday so much fun? This is why Naperville North needs to have more entertaining spirit days in the future.  

 As the end of the school year is approaching, finals and end of year plans, as well as the stress that inevitably comes with them are closer than ever. Not to mention that we have continuous five-day weeks until the end of the school year that seem to get longer as we get closer to summer. This time of year is altogether draining, and we should accept any opportunity for fun that we can get. “Anything But a Backpack” day has been trending on TikTok since the school year started, and every unique “backpack” idea seemed to bring a smile or laugh to not only the students, but the TikTok viewers wishing their school would have a fun spirit day like that. That said, “Anything But a Backpack Day” brought out joy and excitement that was much needed.

 Another thing that made the day so special is the creative student participation. In the past, our spirit days have been simple, easy ways to show school spirit such as pajama day or crazy hair day, and the participation rates seemed lower, possibly because it’s not uncommon for people to wear pajamas when it’s not pajama day. This spirit day was something that has never been done before, and allowed students to think outside of the box. That, along with its popularity on TikTok, made more students willing to participate. Having so many participants showed that the more unique the spirit day is, the more likely people will participate.  

“Anything But A Backpack Day” proved that the crazier the spirit days are, more people will get creative with them. It also proved that it is possible for us to have a different kind of spirit day safely. We need more days like this because life at Naperville North  can get very repetitive and stressful, and seeing people being fun and creative can give students boosts of energy. Even if we had just one “out of the box” spirit day every time we have a spirit week that comes from TikTok or even student input,  it would lift the spirits (and school spirit) of more students.