It’s official, the annual list of spirit week themes is up! And so is the buzz about costume ideas. Whether you go for the obvious store bought costume or opt for the more unique and challenging DIY ensemble, choosing something new to wear for every day can be kind of stressful. But if you plan ahead and coordinate with friends it’ll be worth the work.
Monday’s theme is very much open to interpretation; Toys and Games. For boys it’s a little easier as far as toys go. There’s an unlimited amount of action figures (G.I. Joe, Army Men, Superheroes, Power Rangers, etc.). However, it’s hard for girls to dress up as Barbie or a Polly Pocket or a Bratz doll (no one’s head is that big). But you can recruit a guy friend and a hawaiian shirt and go as Barbie & Ken. Or, if you want to do a group thing, get a few friends and colored eye masks and dress up as ninja turtles. There’s also the board game route to take. Grab some friends and a few bucks to go thrift shopping for some CLUE themed costumes. Or tape some colored dots on a white shirt for Twister.
As a die-hard Cardinals fan Tuesdays theme is my favorite. Pride of Missouri can be expressed in so many different ways! If you want a casual look just throw on a Mizzou tee. And if you want to all out dress up as Rams player with eye black and everything. Or show your pride for the newest Central Division clinchers and wear your beloved Cardinals jersey and hat.
Much like Monday, Wednesday’s theme has thousands of possibilities. Future Occupation day can be taken seriously, where people dress up as a doctor or firefighter, or you can have fun with it, and have one person dress up as a jail inmate and another dress as a police officer. If you’re a junior or senior you’ve experienced this theme two years ago and can vouch that it’s probably one of the best! Students get so into it whether they dress up as a Chippendale or a safari leader. Either way, i’m sure this year’s will be just as great!
Thursday’s theme can be a little bit tougher to dress up for, since each grade level has a different theme. All Roads Lead to West may seem easy; but if your grade level theme is Hollywood Boulevard (Seniors) or Route 66 (Freshman, it may be harder). Hollywood Boulevard will be amazing if students dress up as different famous hollywood stars, or even do something simple like wearing black and taping a pink star with your name on the front for the Walk of Fame. For Route 66, a NASCAR theme would be really cool! Dress up in racing suits or simply wear grey and paint on yellow road lines. But most importantly for this theme, just be yourself, and if your ideas don’t match these don’t be afraid to wear it anyway. This day is all about showing the unique side of West!
Friday is the day to go all out! My personal philosophy is to wear as much red and blue as I can, whether its just a t-shirt and shorts or layered red and blue with a tutu and knee-high socks! Either way, show your West Pride!
Showing your pride is what this week is all about so above all else just have fun! But make sure to stay classy West High!
![2023 was defined by female vocalists such as Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Paramore’s Hayley Williams as their diversity and talent amongst their respective genres topped the musical charts. Williams took to Instagram to show her gratitude for having owned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 100 chart. “We know enough by now to know success doesn’t equal value. That being said, to experience the [No. 1] on this album, as this version of Paramore, is such a sweet and surreal moment to celebrate together,” Williams wrote.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-A-Musical-Recap-2.0-1.png)
![Within the U.S., the busiest shopping period of the year is Cyber Week, the time from Thanksgiving through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, shoppers spent $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday, which is a 7.3% year-over-year increase from 2023. “When I was younger, I would always be out with my mom getting Christmas gifts or just shopping in general. Now, as she has gotten older, I've noticed [that almost] every day, I'll open the front door and there's three packages that my mom has ordered. Part of that is she just doesn't always have the time to go to a store for 30 minutes to an hour, but the other part is when she gets bored, she has easy access to [shopping],” junior Grace Garetson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0249.JPG-1200x801.jpg)
![Complex global supply chains supply the goods for everyday luxuries, such as the coffee at West High’s Blue Brew. Low tariffs enabled much of the prosperity of modern history. “Higher tariffs lead to higher costs. A tariff is a tax on an imported good, and someone has to pay for that tax, and typically that [will] end up impacting consumers,” economics teacher Rachel Money said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Flag-1.png)
![Eyes glued to his sheet music, senior Andrew Gillies accompanies the Jazz Band as the pianist. During the annual Winter Jazz Concert, Gillies was chosen to improvise a solo during the song, “T.J. Boogie.” ¨I love concerts [because of] how the audience reacts, and just the stage lights [shining on me],¨ Gillies said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC_3774-1200x801.jpg)
![Junior TJ Polack plays his saxophone solo at halftime for the 2024 marching band show, ‘Coloring Book.’ This year, Polack was one of two soloists in the marching band. “[Polack] is very hard on himself. [His saxophone solo] sounds amazing [and] everyone [cheers] for him; [still], somehow, he thinks it’s a bad performance and he's down. What he does is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence as a person [and] a lot of musical skill to be expressive, and he's doing an amazing job,” drum major and senior Dominic Perez said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/462488499_2973926416100522_5057718068659607183_n-1200x925.jpg)
![Blending together a concoction for a science experiment, science teacher Joel Anderson scares his students by bringing excitement and thrill into his classroom for his annual Halloween show. It took about six weeks for Anderson to set up his classroom for the show. “It’s pure terror. I came up with this idea a couple decades ago to do something fun for Halloween. So I pretend to be this mad scientist [that creates] a Frankenstein-like creature [with the class], learning a little bit of science along the way and [then ending] with a laser show. It’s just for fun; entertainment value,” Anderson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0021.JPG_-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Sally Peters stands in the history hallway, contemplating her choices in the 2024 United States and Missouri elections on Nov. 5. As a member of Diplomacy Club, Peters has discussed key candidates and issues in contemporary American politics. “[As students], we're starting to become adults. We're realizing how much the policies that are enforced and the laws that make it through the House and Senate are starting to affect us. [Opportunities such as] AP [U.S.Government] and Diplomacy Club [make elections feel] a lot more real,” Diplomacy Club vice president and senior Nidhisha Pejathaya said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Flag-1-1.png)
