MadisonShaffar

It’s no lie that wearing a uniform every day can restrict students’ creativity. With the help of creative dress-down days, Gnimocemoh Week attempts to fix this.

This full week of free dress allows students to get creative and have fun with their outfits. This year’s themes were “Ladies of the 80’s,” “Crusaders Gone Country,” “Y2K Day,” and “Twin With Your Sisters.” 

As the Senior Class moderator, English teacher Mrs. Megan Gillespie led the selection of themes for the week. “Our goal was to encourage everyone to participate,” Gillespie said, “so we had to search for which themes would get people excited.”

For years, Marian girls have taken pride in their ability to go all-out with theme days. From face paint to homemade outfits, there is always a way to get dressed up creatively. “We are part of a community that loves to have fun, have energy and have enthusiasm. [Marian students] have the opportunity to do things differently and have everyone embrace it,” Gillespie said.

Although the idea of creating homecoming themes is not unique to Marian, there are some traditional aspects of the week that are not present at the school. There is no formal dance or high-energy football game. At Marian, “girls are encouraged to embrace the fact that they are somewhat non-traditional,” Gillespie said. When students have the opportunity to be creative, they take that chance and run with it.

Sophomore Brooklyn Salzbrenner is one of the many students who was excited to come to school in her Gnimocemoh Week outfits. “I was excited to dress up for spirit week because it gave me an opportunity to express myself,” Salzbrenner said. “It was a chance to get out of my uniform, so I might as well have had fun with it.”

Just like Salzbrenner, freshman Elizabeth Militti enjoyed participating in her first Gnimocemoh Week by finding outfits that corresponded with each day. “I like the support of dressing up at Marian because it’s a judgment-free zone,” Militti said. No matter what grade, students feel safe and empowered to think outside the box with their outfits and showcase their creativity. 

Many students enjoy wearing a uniform as it simplifies everyone’s daily choices. On  the other hand, some students may feel restricted when wearing the same thing every day. Gnimocemoh Week allows students to break out of their shells and showcase their individuality. “I was excited to dress up because I knew it would be fun to not wear a uniform,” Militti said. 

To many people, dressing in fun outfits may seem silly. Gillespie sees another important meaning to the week; during Gnimocemoh Week and other spirit weeks, students get to embrace their individuality through what they wear. 

“My hope is that if students are confident to dress up, then they will also be confident to step up to more serious things in their lives when the time comes,” Gillespie said. Wearing fun outfits not only teaches students how to find interesting clothes, but also how to carry themselves with confidence in the world.

By creating nontraditional themes, Gillespie hopes to “encourage every student to be an active participant” in the spirit of Marian. This mass participation would not be possible without the presence of the core value of empowerment in the Marian building.