LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — What if you could express yourself in a way that was true to yourself, without fear of judgment or rejection? Los Alamitos High School ASB’s spirit week dress-up days are making this happen for students on campus. This year’s winter formal spirit week has been a vibrant display of our school’s student diversity.
Monday
Students took creative liberties with their fashion choices this week for each dress-out day. The themes chosen symbolized a wide variety of 2000s Disney Channel movies. Monday’s theme was “Country vs. Country Club” to represent the all-time favorite blockbuster “Hannah Montana.” Most students wore cowboy boots, and others wore tennis skirts.
Tuesday
Tuesday’s prompt was “Wear a Jersey.” This day had the most participation, with students wearing LAHS athletics jerseys, hockey team jerseys and football jerseys. Many wore jerseys from local sports teams, like the Lakers, Rams and Dodgers. Others wore jerseys from teams farther away, like senior Carter Cronin, who wore his sister’s Michigan jersey.
“The weather’s cold out, and I like the colors,” Cronin said. “Most of my family is from Michigan. My dad’s side of the family has like 40 cousins there. Hockey is really big over there.”
Wednesday
On Wednesday, students showed their spirit with their favorite band tees and hoodies. Queen shirts, Chromokopia merch and AC/DC were the most common artists students supported. Some friend groups even wore matching shirts to show their similar music tastes.
“I have a couple band tees, but I picked this one because I really like Queen and I thought it was super cool,” Hannah Buhler, senior, said.
Thursday
Thursday was “Dress Like a Kid Day.” Many students wore nostalgic outfits from their childhood, like overalls and old accessories. Other students wore outfits that represented their personality, interests or hobbies as a kid.
Marlee Gilkenson, a senior at LAHS, wore sweatpants and a fun top.
“I always wore sweatpants when I was a kid, and I like to be comfy,” Gilkenson said. “Then I went to the kids’ section at Target and picked up this shirt that says ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ because I was always running around and happy when I was a kid, so I thought it resembled me as a child.”
Friday
On Friday, friends dressed as a “Rhyme Without Reason.” Pairs or trios came up with fun rhymes, like Wild West and princess or Minnie and Winnie-the-Pooh. This theme is fun and creative, and it created a connection between staff, teachers and students.
“I like (the prompt). You can go anywhere with this one,” freshman Max Regnier said. “It’s not just one thing. I met one guy who’s dressed in red, white and blue, Fourth of July, and he’s got a friend who’s a frat guy.”
Throughout spirit week, students have expressed themselves while bonding with one another. Teachers and staff also experienced the feeling of being students again.
“Each day went with a 200s movie,” ASB advisor Mrs. Schanaker said. “Country vs. country club was for ‘Hannah Montana,’ jersey day was for ‘High School Musical,’ band tee day is for ‘Camp Rock,’ dress like a kid is just the nostalgia of the 2000s and rhyme without reason is just a day that everyone’s been wanting to incorporate, so we’re really excited about it.”
