Spirit Week

This spring’s spirit week was characterized by walking trash cans and students and teachers wearing blankets as a reminder of all the disasters the school has experienced within the past two years.

Monday: The Gas Leak

To commemorate the first school disaster, the gas leak of 2023/2024, students brought blankets in memory of the two hours spent waiting in the football stadium.

“It was really scary,” junior Shane Hughes said. “No one knew what was happening and teachers didn’t have very many answers.”

Students waited outside in 39 degree weather that day for about an hour and half until eventually staff moved students onto buses to stay warm while the gas leak was dealt with.

“I never leave home without a blanket anymore,” junior Elizabeth McMarty said.

According to school administration, this was the first in a series of disasters that “just comes with being in an old building.”

“That gas leak really was the game changer,” McMarty said. “Ever since then it feels like everyone’s just been waiting for something to happen.”

Lo and behold, it did.

Tuesday: The Hold Epidemic

The year had just started, but by the end of the first quarter, there had already been five holds, in which students and staff are required to remain in their classrooms.

“The first time we had a hold, everyone was panicking, but once it kept happening everyone just seemed to adjust,” senior Jerry Maguire said.

Students decided to come to school dressed as dinosaurs since each time there was a hold, the raptor alert would begin blaring.

“My friends and I were really curious about what was happening in the halls during the holds, so we’ve been hiding secret cameras throughout the school,” Maguire said. “Hopefully we manage to catch whatever’s going on.

Wednesday: Exploding Sewage

One of the most recent and major disasters of this school year was the sewage leak causing a horrid smell in the music hallway.

“After the sewage leak, everytime I have band I keep thinking I can still smell it,” sophomore Penelope Jackson said. “Now I make sure to wear a mask at all times, and I only take big gulps of air every 45 seconds.”

Due to the terrible smell, everyone thought that the sewage leak was actually a gas leak. In remembrance of the smell, students dressed in green colors, and some even went so far as to wear a trash can costume.

Thursday: Bring on the Legionnaires’!

2024 was the school’s 70 year anniversary, and seemingly as a reminder of the building’s age, some of the water fountains were found to contain a dangerous level of Legionnaires’ disease. Inspired by this, students showed up with white wigs and wearing “grandparent clothes.” However, some students wanted to take an alternative approach.

“I really wanted to lean into the disease part of it, so I decided to wear a hazmat suit instead,” junior Harry Smith said.

Other students wore lab coats, and as part of a spirit week activity, biology and chemistry classes collected water samples from the water fountains and tested the pH.

“I bought a plague doctor mask when I used to be obsessed with medieval history in college, and now I finally have the chance to wear it,” history teacher Wilma Churchill said.

Friday: It’s raining…inside?

Who can forget the morning that began not with the school bell, but instead with a massive leak in the ceiling resulting in a puddle of water on the floor? The area of the hallway was blocked off, and the issue was resolved. Despite life continuing on as normal, it was just another disaster to add to the list.

In response to this, students brought umbrellas and raincoats to school.

“I’m even wearing my wellies,” Eliza Smith said. “Me and a couple of other students are trying to convince the teachers to use a hose to make puddles outside to jump around in.”

Although many of the students are simply having fun with spirit week, others see it as an opportunity. In light of this, the school decided to have everyone gather on the lawn with their umbrellas to spell out “LCHS.”

“I think it’s really fun that we’re doing this, “Jackson said. “Being able to have fun while remembering all the crazy things that’ve happened can help bring everyone together.”