Every year, Skyline holds an end-of-year assembly featuring the final competition between grades known as the Spirit Bowl. The Spirit Bowl also takes place during the Spirit Week. Many students enjoy attending the year-round assembly, however several students have differing opinions.
This year’s Spirit Week themes included Pajama Monday, Tacky Tourist Tuesday, Wild West Wednesday, Anything but a Backpack Thursday, and Grade Color Friday. According to a few students, more students have participated in previous years compared to this year’s spirit week. One student said, “It’s just not the same anymore. They basically have the same themes […] It’s not all that fun when it’s the same [theme] over and over again.” Although some students don’t enjoy participating in Spirit Week, this doesn’t stop others from continuing to dress up. Whether students went all out or simply incorporated the theme, there were still quite a few students who brought out their inner Skyline Eagle.
One theme, Anything but a Backpack Day, left many students thinking of creative items that they could bring. Some students thought of bringing pets, little siblings, shopping carts, wheelbarrows, etc. Unfortunately, many of these items were banned, as the school made it clear that students were not to bring anything that they could not carry, was alive, or was a shopping cart. Compared to a previous year, notably fewer students participated in this year’s Anything but a Backpack Day. Another student mentioned, “This year no one participated in it. I saw maybe twenty or so kids who actually did anything […] but those [who] actually did bring stuff were fun to see.” Some backpacks that were seen around the school include buckets, tote bags, foldable tables, instrument cases, and, even though not allowed, some students still brought wheel barrows.
From the beginning of the year, Skyline has held competitions between grade levels at assemblies. Whichever grade wins earns a certain amount of points towards their grade level, which is tallied throughout the year. Near the end of the school year, Skyline holds an assembly known as the Spirit Bowl, in which students have the opportunity to compete one last time. The Spirit Bowl has a little bit of a controversy surrounding it, as most students, even the Seniors themselves, believe that the Spirit Bowl is rigged toward the Seniors. Every year, the Senior class wins the Spirit Bowl, and some students have questioned whether or not the Senior class actually won most competitions. One Senior said, “It’s so rigged. No way the Seniors won the hallway decoration this year […] the Juniors one was obviously so much better.” Another student added, “Are you kidding? We got the ball over the Seniors [goal] like five times and they only counted it once […] and, with the obstacle one, the Seniors literally cheated, it took everyone chanting [“Seniors cheated”] to do something about it.”
Some students have strong feelings towards the legitimacy of the Spirit Bowl, while other students aren’t too serious about it. “I’m sure the reason why it’s rigged is because the school just wants everyone to have a chance at winning,” one student said. With the controversy surrounding the Spirit Bowl, many students, especially Seniors, don’t even attend the assembly. One Senior said, “There’s really no point, we already know who’s going to win.” Although the students have mixed feelings about the Spirit Bowl, it is still a fun assembly.
