Letter from the Administration siphons school spirit, splits student body.
Kings bring people together. That’s not only been evident throughout history, but at Grady, too. As we, the Seniors, don our crowns, whistles and togas to celebrate our last year, the rest of the school recognizes our inherent right to lead its ceremonies, like pep rallies, sports games and other events. These unifying traditions make up the core of Grady’s identity, although it seems that this goes largely unnoticed by school administration.
Freshman Friday, perhaps our most historic tradition, has lately received an onslaught of attention—but not in a positive way. I concede that I had no intention of participating in the ceremonies of the day because of scheduling conflicts. I do know, however, exactly what happened, and I also know that misconceptions have spread around both the school and the community like wildfire. In the days leading up to the event, the administration published a letter condemning the activities and warning any hopeful participants of immediate repercussions. Based upon past years in which seniors did, in fact, cross the line, I thoroughly understand the need for an official letter of dissent. But the school, in no way, has purview to interfere at all with the matter.
The underlying warrant that the administration used in its letter was an APS Handbook code that stated, “behavior incidents include violations that take place ‘off campus and not at a school event or function if the behavior meets the definition of an off-campus behavior or directly affects the safety and welfare of the school community or the orderly mission and function of the school.’” The administration claims that Freshman Friday falls under these parameters, but these claims are fundamentally fallacious. Seniors view the day as an occasion to welcome incoming freshmen; freshmen view it as an exciting activity that will both foster new friendships and serve as an icebreaker with the upperclassmen. Since both parties consent to the activities, Freshman Friday only forms a more cohesive student body.
Grady lacks school spirit and historical pride so severely that it doesn’t even spell the word “gray” in the name of its mascot—now spelled the “Grey Knights”—the same way its founders did in 1947. Football games are scantily attended, pep rallies are quiet, seemingly forced events, the homecoming dance draws more faculty than students to the floor and sports teams drape themselves in all sorts of shades and hues of red that barely resemble Grady’s cardinal red. We try to heal these wounds every year but fall short. “School spirit” at Grady is a misnomer, our identity nothing more than a shared roof.
I’ve been hearing Grady’s motto more than ever this past year: “individually we are different, together we are Grady.” It was even listed at the end of the administration’s letter. But it’s traditions like Freshman Friday that salvage any last hopes for a unified, spirited school. By tearing it off of the school identity, little remains for Grady to call its own. Knights require kings in central command; by ousting the kings, who will lead the Grady Gray Knights?
