From Monday, Sept. 23, to Friday, Sept. 27, Archie Williams Associated Student Body (ASB) organized a Mamma Mia-themed spirit week to precede the Homecoming dance and football game. Anticipation built as the week progressed, and students displayed their Falcon spirit by dressing up for a variety of themes and celebrating their community.
Monday set off Homecoming Spirit Week with a “Disco vs Denim” theme inspired by the style in the Mamma Mia movie series. The Mamma Mia musical duology is based on the iconic 70’s band ABBA, known for its glitzy seventies boho style. ASB gave students the opportunity to choose one of the two styles to rock, with the majority of students participating by wearing various items of denim clothing in their outfits.
ASB member and sophomore Alexandra Berry preferred the denim option and felt the theme was effective because of its accessibility.
“I like denim better as a theme because it’s more convenient. It’s easier to find stuff in your wardrobe,” Alexandra said.
On the second day of Spirit Week, students swapped out their regular shoes for flip-flops for “Toes Out Tuesday.” Despite the shift to the fall season, ASB encouraged students to embrace the Greek summer feeling and, to quote a hallway poster, to “Let ‘em Breathe.”
Junior Parker Krawitz appreciated the final taste of beach weather and the carefree energy that came with the sandal theme.
“I like [Tuesday’s] spirit day because it’s hot out, it’s flip flops, it’s sunny weather. It reminds me of summer,” Parker said.
As Spirit Week hit the third day, ASB took inspiration from the Mamma Mia franchise’s iconic Donna and the Dynamos, holding a triplets-themed spirit day. Many students took this as an opportunity to match with their friends, mainly in groups of three. Whether with coordinated colors, matching accessories, or twinning outfits, students from all grades dressed up to show their spirit.
Wednesday served as an opportunity for bonding within the Archie Williams’ community. Sophomore Asa Duisenberg believes that these spirit days add a fun element to school and spread excitement for the rest of the week.
“I think [Wednesday’s theme] is pretty fun. You can coordinate with your friends to wear a good outfit, [and these spirit days help] build a strong community, and people can have fun while they have to go to school,” Asa said.
For the fourth spirit day, ASB encouraged students to take a trip to Mamma Mia’s Greek islands and embrace their inner tourists with “Island Tourist Day.” The Archie Williams halls swarmed with Hawaiian button-downs and floral tops, and participants weren’t shy to show off their vibrant touristy colors.
Junior and ASB member Georgia Silva highlighted her love for spirit days, especially ones similar to “Island Tourist Day.” She finds that these events build spirit and community.
“I really like Island Tourist [Day], [because] it is very fun and you get to wear a bunch of cool stuff for it. I also think these days are important because they help unify the school,” Georgia said.
The fifth and final day of Spirit Week offered a schedule packed with festivities. With a fourth period rally and a lunchtime Power Puff game, Friday went out with a bang. ASB arranged for each grade to dress up in their assigned colors, with freshmen in green, sophomores in blue, juniors in white, and seniors in pink.
Junior and senior girls went head-to-head in the Power Puff game, competing in a high-spirited and energetic match on the Archie Williams Football Field. Power Puff, an adaptation of Flag Football, allows girls from the junior and senior classes to compete against each other with coaching from the Archie Williams football team.
With snow cones provided by ASB members, numerous students and staff came out to support and watch the Falcons compete. During the first play of the game, the seniors scored the first touchdown, putting them in the lead. They came out stronger than the juniors, playing with higher intensity, and ultimately took the victory, beating the juniors 35-14.
Freshman Gabe Wright’s first Homecoming Spirit Week exceeded his expectations, and he found that the week built up energy in anticipation for the dance.
“Everybody’s getting in the mood of dressing up and trying out new outfits. [Weeks like this] make me definitely more excited to participate more,” Gabe said.
As the last day of Homecoming Spirit Week came to a close students began gearing up for the Homecoming Dance, which took place the night of Friday, Sept. 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Archie Williams Carl “Red Brown” Gym. The festivities continued into the weekend with the Archie Williams Homecoming football game on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. against Novato at the Archie Williams home field.
