The leaves are changing color and the stadium lights are coming on. The most anticipated part of coming back to school for many students is the start of the fall football season. Starting alongside the school year, the football season serves to unite students and reignite their school spirit after the lengthy summer break. Fueling this is the drumline, poms and most notably, the crowd that loudly cheers on their team as the game progresses. The beloved football tradition of dressing up according to the game theme is a great way to feel immersed in the games and express excitement and school spirit.
While there are a variety of football themes, such as USA and country, the most popular and adored among students are the color themes, such as blackout and greenout. Due to the simplicity of the themes, it’s easier for students to participate.
“Blackout is easy because most of my clothes are black. I would wear a bunch of accessories like hats, glasses and bracelets depending on the theme. I think they are important because it’s easier to know what school you’re cheering for and who’s at your school and who’s not. As long as people wear the colors, they are showing good enough spirit,” junior Matthew Tan said.
While black is a versatile color, nothing compares to the school pride associated with the dark green that covers the hallways in school. Wearing the school color to football games helps students feel more in touch with the school community. Unfortunately, the game that was scheduled to have that theme was played on Saturday morning because of a rainout.
“I was excited for green out, but my favorite theme this year was pink out. I feel like people are more excited for the games when they get to dress up and show school spirit. I think it encourages more people to go. I usually wear paint that matches the theme. I put handprints on my legs and colored eye-black under my eyes,” sophomore Haley Prindle said.
A bold color like pink is a great way to highlight the love from the crowd in the bleachers. There are other bright colors like it that have the same effect.
“A theme with bright neon colors would be interesting. I like how the bright lights would make the neon colors pop out,” Prindle said.
Colored themes aren’t the only way to find an easy and simple outfit to show your football pride. While simple colors can bring unity to a team, there are a variety of interesting theme options to explore.
“If I could come up with my own theme, I would choose either a glow-in-the-dark theme or a pajama theme,” Tan said.
Out of the school population, no other grade stands out when it comes to school spirit as much as the seniors. Since it is their last year, seniors tend to find every way possible to show their love for the school.
“I think it boosts attendance when there’s a theme because it makes it more spirited and fun. I believe seniors try to go harder because we are running the student section and because it’s our last year,” senior Eliana Nastase said.
For their last year as high schoolers, seniors too have strong opinions on what theme they like best.
“Pink out from Friday’s [Homecoming] game was my favorite theme. I wore a pink cropped shirt and sweatpants for it. If I could choose my own theme, I would pick jerseys,” Nastase said.
