For as long as students can remember, Midlothian High School has long held the title for best high school spirit in the entire 804 area code. It’s tradition for students to scream their lungs out at pep rallies, herd the bleachers at football games, and, most importantly, dress head-to-toe in full-blown craziness for Spirit week, a time of completely free expression and chaos. After living through the complete frenzy of Anything But a Backpack Day last year, it’s hard to say if Midlo will ever live up to its previous standards.

This year, after the release of the spirit week themes, students were quickly confused and began to complain. With Music Mayhem Monday, Tacky Tourist Tuesday, Work from Home Wednesday, Denim on Denim Thursday and Pep Rally colors on Friday, it seems that Midlo needs to step up the pep.

“They suck,” Charlie Healey, 12, said. “What does Music Mayhem Monday even mean?”

Thank you, Charlie, for asking the one question everyone wants to know. With its vagueness, it seems that Music Mayhem Monday could be interpreted in many ways. Posters explain that students should “Dress as a favorite music genre, singer or musician,” but how exactly does one dress as a music genre?

“They’re so bad,” Ethan Richio, 11, said. “Because nobody understands the themes. What is Tacky Tourist Tuesday? What is Work from Home Wednesday? It doesn’t even rhyme. And nobody wants to wear denim on denim,” Richio said. “I think it should be more traditional. I like the pep rally colors and stuff like that, just not the other spirit days.”

“I think there could be better themes,” Nick Nguyen, 9, said. “They are a little boring.”

“Our spirit days are typically chosen by a collective of SCA officers and general body members,” Ms. Morgan Hargrave, sponsor of the Student Council Association (SCA) said.  “Once narrowed down, they then must be approved by the administration.  Though our main goal of spirit days is to be fun with maximum participation.  We also want to make sure they are safe and inclusive for all.”

Many students find the spirit days to be completely confusing.

“They could be better. There is a lot of confusion, ” Jayden Tiller, 9, said

One of the other less admired spirit days this week is Denim on Denim Thursday.  With the Powder Puff game on Thursday afternoon with predicted temperatures in the 90s, it’s hard to say what students will choose to wear come Thursday morning.

Just like Denim on Demin, many students are taking a second to rethink Work from Home Wednesday.  The general consensus among students is that dressing half business and half pajamas sounds funny, yet is impractical and “ugly” as one senior put it.

“It sounds fun to do, but it’s confusing,” Charlotte Toler, 9.

However, some students still make the most out of the current spirit days. “It’s fun!” Will Waugh, 11, said. “I’m excited for Monday mostly.”

“I dress up every year and no one ever takes my picture,” Riley Khron, 11, said. “But I’m still going all out.  All week baby!”

In the end, it seems that students were overall in a state of confusion about this year’s spirit day selections.  It’s clear to say that Midlo must step up the pep in order to remain notoriously spirited in all of 804.