Mr. Worldwide. A man who has taken over the world with his sparkling bald head and wonderful woos. He encapsulates class, excitement, and what it truly means to be the life of the party.

Of course, I’m talking about American rapper and singer Pitbull.

On April 27, MCHS held a spirit day themed around the renowned musician. Students had been pressing for a “Worldwide Day” since the beginning of first semester. The expectations were high. Images of bald caps and dark sunglasses flooded my mind in anticipation for this day, but much to my dismay, no one else cared. 

The day began slow, I had a field trip so I was sitting in the south foyer waiting for the bus. As I watched students pour in through the doors, my heart sank. Not a single person was dressed as Pitbull. This could have been the most memorable day of my high school career. This would be the day that I would look back on and tell my grandkids about, but the fact that no one even tried was heartbreaking. 

Considering McHenry’s apparent obsession with the musician, playing his music at every event of this year, it’s surprising to see how hardly anyone dressed up. 

This isn’t just an issue with Pitbull either. MCHS has had several exciting spirit days throughout the year including “Will Ferrel Day” and “Flapper Day”, though nothing ever seems to pan out. Even “Anything But A Backpack Day,” which seemed like a hit, still didn’t have super high participation. School spirit is at an all time low, and if Pitbull can’t save us, no one can.

It’s not just an issue with spirit days. Our school has had a hard time getting students to participate in fun events such as Six Flags trips or Battle of the Bands. These events are made to boost student morale and bring our school together, but they don’t seem to be working. 

It’s embarrassing that our school is one of the least prideful schools in the area. McHenry emits a strong stench of apathy, and it’s not a good look. If MCHS wants to succeed and be looked up to by other schools, we need to be more cheerful and participate in things like spirit days. Even just dressing up and making signs for athletic events could bring so much more joy and spirit to our community.    

In addition to the embarrassment that our school’s apathy causes, it also appears to split the two campuses even more. We all know there has been a plethora of behavioral issues at both campuses this year, but the lack of spirit seems to be making it worse. 

A lot of kids see school as a burden, another thing that they’re forced to do. With a little more spirit, and a little more party, grades could improve and MCHS could finally bridge the gap between the freshman and upper campuses. In addition, higher morale will make the freshman more excited to join their peers at the upper campus. 

Students at MCHS need to start putting effort into school spirit, and it all starts with Pitbull. Dress up for events, make signs for your favorite football players, dance to Pitbull’s bopping beats, anything to bring a little more joy and spirit into our community and, in turn, make our school more successful and looked up to by other schools in our area.