OPINION: Homecoming Revival Faced with Mixed Spirit

Articles, Events, Opinion
December 5, 2023
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By Melody Tang and Grace Wang
ONLINE EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

AHS’s first homecoming in over 20 years took place this October. From Monday’s Color Wars to Friday’s Andover Gear Day, people participated to show their AHS spirit. On Friday, October 20, AHS took home a close victory by two points at the homecoming football game against Central Catholic. Amidst it all, two divisions emerged. Although some thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the week of festivities, the overall absence of school spirit made homecoming week disappointingly lackluster.

The spirit was missing from the general student population. When compared to the overwhelming spirit and participation of other schools, AHS just doesn’t measure up. However, the lack of school spirit isn’t a problem generated by poor execution of homecoming. Instead, the subpar homecoming results are created by the culture culminating over the past few years at AHS. Students lack AHS pride.

Except, it doesn’t have to be all negative. Many students and teachers did participate in celebrating homecoming. Though it may not have been overwhelming, it’s definitely a step up from the past. This homecoming could be the gateway to bringing back AHS pride. People did participate, and people did have fun. But how can we make the experience more universally enjoyable?

Kicking off the week, we had class colors on Monday. Then, we had Adam Sandler Day on Tuesday, Country versus Country Club Day on Wednesday, Tropical Day on Thursday, and Andover Gear Day on Friday. Each day was unique and creative, garnering mixed opinions.

“I thought spirit week was pretty cool…we haven’t had a school-wide one like that since I’ve been at AHS,” said junior Shreya Desai. “It was a fun way to have some school spirit…I did love Country versus Country Club Day…I liked Spirit Week and hope we can do it more often.”

“The themes were definitely different from what I’ve seen in the past,” said Senior Sanchita Swamy. “Country versus The Country Club was so odd, and class color didn’t work because people either didn’t care or wore the wrong thing.”

“Spirit Week was boring and stupid. No one in the grade–even our teachers–did anything for Spirit Week. Maybe 12 out of 400 freshmen participated,” stated freshman Alex Nguyen.

“Not a lot of people dressed up for Spirit Week, mostly just seniors did, but even then, it wasn’t the majority,” said Senior Board member Anton Shvets. “I don’t think it had a staggering impact.”

On the bright side, we cannot forget to mention the proud victory against Central Catholic at the homecoming football game. AHS beat Central Catholic by two points, and the tight victory should be celebrated.

Still, homecoming just didn’t feel special enough. “It was HOCO, but, to be honest, there was nothing special about the game. Like, I wouldn’t have known it was HOCO if it wasn’t on the board,” said Senior Anton Shvets.

How can we generate more excitement? How can we create a more united atmosphere? How can we make our high school events even more special? With AHS’ dwindling spirit, it’s all the more important for events like this to bring the school together.

The well-known dance celebrated by high schools nationwide was planned with a Hollywood theme for a grand reintroduction, complete with a DJ from Boston’s Kiss108 music station.

The idea of re-establishing homecoming was mostly suggested by current juniors and seniors. “We’ve been here the longest without one, and we wanted (to have it) one year… so that the freshmen and sophomores could continue that legacy,” said Aeyah Elbasiony, one of the student coordinators who planned the event along with the help of a group of parent volunteers.

“I expected a lot more people,” said senior Raghav Tewari. “I thought there would be more seniors coming too… I mostly saw sophomores and freshmen.” While Aixa Hilario De Kelley stated over 300 tickets were sold, it is difficult to confidently say that over 300 attended the dance. The cafeteria was far from packed, and it is ironic how the grades that were most excited about the event ended up having the lowest turnout.

If all the students who purchased tickets did show up, the mood was severely lacking for an over 300-strong army of students. “It felt very separated like everyone was just in their own groups,” remarked Shvets. Students huddled separately in small bunches, and dancing was minimal. Even with the blasting music, most attendees seemed to be at a refined banquet rather than a raving dance.

STAFF PHOTO / Melody Tang
Members of all grades attend Homecoming in the school cafeteria.

Nguyen commented, “Less than 20% of freshmen went to homecoming–I knew maybe four people who went. I’m telling you, no one was excited.”

“Some people were really excited,” said Desai. “Most were not fans of the fact that it was every grade, so that’s why they didn’t go.”

While the return of homecoming was indeed a monumental event to celebrate, the lack of school spirit lessened the grandeur of its return. The overall participation for Spirit Week and turnout at the football game and homecoming dance revealed AHS’ biggest challenge: spirit. In preparation for future school events, let’s try harder as a student body to craft more vibrant and unforgettable experiences that truly capture the wonders of Andover High.

Andoverview

AHS Class of 2026 Graduation: A Sentiment of Gratitude

June 11, 2026

Abby Chachus & Kendall Murphy || STAFF WRITERS

A hush falls as a sea of navy gowns, a rising tide of Andover High School graduates enters the Tsongas Center just before 5 o’clock on June 1, 2026. There is something distinct about moments like these. A goodbye that is bittersweet among both the audience and the seniors.

According to Graduation Committee member Ella Murphy, it is a goodbye to “Halloween costume competitions that never disappoint, lunches, wrap lines and vending machine trips,” seemingly inconsequential things, but the memories will stick with all of the students as they move on to their future endeavors.

The graduation speakers shared the value of these moments and their gratitude for the people that helped them along the way. As the ceremony commenced, the opening speakers Zachery Pan and Murphy welcomed everyone and encouraged them to acknowledge their shared experiences at Andover High School. “These moments, these memories, these faces. None of us got here alone.” said Pan.

Their speech gave time to deliver some truly meaningful thank you’s, “beyond the formalities” as Murphy put it, to the teachers and staff that showed up each day with “patience, support, and dedication.” Furthermore, they recognized that this gratitude is not solely meant for the significant ceremonies.

“Gratitude is kind of strange. We tend to save it for the big moments. The ceremonies, the stages, the audiences,” said Murphy.

“But let’s be honest—the people who actually changed your life probably weren’t standing on a stage when they did it,” continued Pan.

They concluded the speech with a request to the graduates to thank those who changed their lives in both the big and small moments, even if it feels unnecessary.

Before graduation, other seniors expressed similar thoughts, like reflecting on the journey that got them to where they are today.

“To all my teachers: thank you for everything. I would not be here without any single one of you.” said Christopher Reardon.

Thomas Enman advised underclassmen to “just enjoy every little minute you get at AHS.”

Vignesha Jayakumar, class essayist and valedictorian, echoed this same sentiment of appreciation, reinforcing Reardon’s message about the lasting impact of teachers and support systems. “We were galvanized from a community of supportive teachers and staff who didn’t just teach us subjects, they taught us how to think, how to question, how to care,” said Jayakumar.

He also mentioned the importance of one learning from their fellow graduates. “We learned as much from each other in the hallways and the bleachers as we did in the classroom,” he said.

After Jayakumar, Graduation Committee members Ben Pelt and Kari Belson spoke. First, Pelt announced the Class of 2026’s class gift to AHS. Next, Belson named Scott Armstrong the 2026 Distinguished Citizen (see page 4).

When Principal Jimmy D’Andrea took the stage, he, like all the other speakers, expressed the value of gratitude, a central theme that resonated throughout the ceremony. He began by thanking each group that got each member of the graduating class to where they were standing in the Tsongas Center, about to leave the comfort of being an AHS student and moving onto becoming alumni, highlighting the strong support system and sense of community that defined the graduating class’s journey.

He also encouraged each graduate to “personally reach out and thank those individuals who made a difference in [their] lives,” reinforcing the ceremony’s message of appreciation, reflection, and recognition for the people who helped shape their high school experience.

Interim Superintendent Keith Taverna encouraged graduates to continue to make the community proud with the positive impact they will bring to the world.

To conclude the ceremony, Graduation Committee members Chloe Ahn and Margaret Farabaugh brought everyone together one last time. “Tonight we stand together because of the strong and spirited community we have built,” said Ahn.

Ahn concluded, “As we become graduates of Andover High School, we step into the world with purpose, passion, and pride… Congratulations class of 2026!”

Students, Faculty Travel to Scandinavia Over Spring Break

June 11, 2026

Samin Faiz || STAFF WRITER

Forty-two Andover High School students and seven chaperones visited Scandinavia this April.

After a six-hour flight from Boston to Reykjavík, Iceland, followed by a two-hour flight to Oslo, Norway, the group began their ten-day-long tour the Thursday before spring break. Through a combination of bus rides, overnight ferries, and countless miles on foot, the group made their way through five Northern European countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

“I’ve been traveling with students since 2005, so this might be my 17th tour,” said Brian Shea, English teacher, organizer, and chaperone of the trip. “We’ve now done all of Europe, so Northern Europe was sort of our last frontier.”

Apart from the chaperones, the group was accompanied by a tour director named Yulia, whom Shea worked closely with to structure the daily itinerary and ensure a smooth trip.

In Scandinavia, English is widely spoken, so the language barrier was never a problem for the group. Sometimes, however, the students made connections in ways that transcend the spoken word.

“I played soccer with a bunch of people in Sweden,” recalled Hannah Arnold, a junior who participated in the trip. “That was probably the highlight of the trip for me.”

Arnold is no stranger to international travel. Just two months earlier, in fact, she joined her classmates on another school trip to Peru over winter break. However, for her twin sister, Grace Arnold, this was a brand-new experience.

“I met a lot of new people that I’ve never met before, especially people not in my grade,” Grace said. “It was really nice because I met a lot of great people through that and got to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually get to spend time with.”

The trip offered a flexible balance of group tours and independent exploration. “We had a lot of free time,” Grace noted. “We got to explore cities on our own and shop where we wanted. As long as you stayed in groups of three or more, you were free to roam the city.”

Students observed the region’s distinct economic models. Through agreements within the European Union and the Nordic Council, higher education is heavily subsidized or entirely free for regional citizens.

“It’s really interesting. They tax wealthier people a lot more and their overall tax rates are a lot higher,” one student observed. “The way they reinvest money back into infrastructure contributes to stronger public infrastructure. Education and health care are free, and they even offer stipends to cover the cost of living. Essentially, you pay a lot of taxes, but you get a lot in return.”

Students also noticed the societal impact of these safety nets. “Their unhoused population is significantly lower. If you want help, those systems are available to support you.”

The travelers’ curiosity and maturity left a strong impression on the faculty.

“These kids were wonderful,” said Shea. “All of the students were engaged. They were paying attention. They were enjoying it. They were wonderful travelers. To me, that was the biggest thrill.”

With the preparations for next year’s destinations already underway, the future of travel programs at AHS seems to be brimming with opportunities.

“Next year, we have two tours,” said Shea. “We’re running one tour to Barcelona and Madrid in February, and then we’re running another tour to Greece in April.”

Such opportunities are often highly selective at other schools, but luckily, these trips remain open to the entire student body at AHS.

“There’s no application process,” Shea emphasized. “We’re not looking at grades. We’re not looking at behavioral records. Anybody can sign up when we offer these tours. I put them out there, and I’m like, ‘If you want to go, come.’”

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OPINION: Homecoming Revival Faced with Mixed Spirit

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