SophieGolka

On Wednesdays we wear pink!

For most, this is a reference to “Mean Girls,” but for the male teachers at Marian this is a fun tradition.

These teachers have participated in the tradition dating back to 2019, starting with a former Marian math teacher, Mr. Peter Cunningham. While many associate this tradition with the film, this was not what Cunningham originally intended. He unintentionally wore pink on a Wednesday. When a student commented on it, he said, “Thanks! On Wednesdays we wear pink!” After getting a laugh from his students, he decided to continue. While many knew about the Mean Girls reference, it was not the only purpose for doing it on Wednesdays. “[Doing it on Wednesdays] was just a way for us to remember to do it,” science teacher Mr. BJ Christiansen said. He was one of the first people to join Cunningham. Later in the year, he started to encourage others to join in on the fun. While few joined in that first year, the tradition slowly started to grow.  As Cunningham went to teach at his new school, Elkhorn South, Christiansen made sure it was kept alive. 

Two years ago, science teacher Mr. Matthew Winterboer began a new way to embrace the tradition. He needed a way to remember to wear pink. He used to come to school on Wednesdays, only to remember that he didn’t have a pink shirt on. To try and fix this problem, he went to Mrs. Christina Butler, the Bluetique manager. He asked if the Bluetique could offer a pink Marian quarter zip. Soon he was sent many designs and examples to choose from.

A final design was chosen and the teachers finally had the opportunity to wear their Marian pink. “I reached out to the other guy teachers,” Winterboer said, “and that was kind of our starting point. It just snowballed from there.” There was more interest than he had ever anticipated. Almost everyone he reached out to said they would love to join, and it became the popular tradition it is today.

As new teachers have joined the Marian community,  the number of teachers in pink has increased. All are encouraged and welcome to join in on the fun. “Anybody can wear pink,” Christiansen said. It doesn’t have to just be the guys — even Dr. Sharon Genoways has started wearing pink (when she remembers).

 Christiansen and Winterboer say this is a tradition built to bring smiles not only to them, but also to the students. This sense of community has given students a smile and something to look forward to half-way through the week. 

The unique Marian tradition is not selective, but for everyone to add some fun and color to their lives.