With 121 seniors graduating Marshfield High School this year it’s time to look at Marshfield’s graduation spirit, and senior traditions.

The pirates are known for having the most formal graduation ceremony on the south coast. Not allowing students to decorate their caps and only allowing state awards and school earned chords come across the stage.

While those colorful chords show what students participated in, it doesn’t allow students to show any personality. And, with a strict dress code of business casual there is no wiggle room there. Students want to have expressive freedom, even just in the form of decorating a cap. 

The seniors are also feeling the effects of Covid-19 when it comes to spirit. The associated student body (ASB) had to set attendance goals in the student sections of big games to try and force spirit. And, most senior traditions have been lost in the pandemic. At most the senior class has had a poorly organized senior sunrise and bonfire, with other traditions like senior pranks and skip day being up in the air. 

School spirit speaks to morale, it shows how much you love your community. Our students often hear that once a pirate is always a pirate, but students aren’t proud to wear purple and gold. Is there a solution in sight? No, not unless attitudes change. Marshfield High School’s atheists and activity participants are winners. So, we need to start treating them like it. 

In the 2021-22 school year we hung three banners and our seniors were a huge part of that. Not everyone can say they are state champions, and that’s something to celebrate especially in assemblies. 

With the amount of planning ASB puts into our pep assemblies and how successful our programs are you would think that the attendance and participation would be through the roofs. But, instead, spike ball tournaments turn into gossip sessions, and badminton games are Snap chat central. 

Students wish for spirit and traditions that they hear about from the 90’s, but at that time school was the place to be. It was cool to be there. So, it’s time to get back to that. You only have four years in high school so make the most of them. Go to the dances, cheer loud in the student section, dress up during spirit week, just get involved.