Students dressed up for Student Council’s Spring Fling Spirit Week from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28. The themes of the week were Disney, Enchanted Forest, Garden of Time, Mamma Mia and Go Texan Day.

On Jan. 20, STUCO posted an Instagram poll asking students their preferred theme for Spring Fling. Since Masquerade was the most popular, it became the theme for the dance, while the subsequent five themes transformed into spirit days. For senior and STUCO President Ellen Dai, the spirit week was a good way to show school spirit.

“I think spirit week is a good way to get everyone dressed up and show collective community, because when everyone’s dressed up in a similar outfit, for example, Mamma Mia, I think it’s really cool and really fun,” Dai said. “[It is] just a way to hype up for whatever is coming up next, whether that be Homecoming or Spring Fling or a football game.”

However, because the spirit week themes originated from dance themes, there was some confusion about how to participate. Sophomore and STUCO member Rayna Parikh thought the themes were a little too “abstract.”

“I think the themes need to be a little stricter,” Parikh said. “It is really up to your interpretation, and I think it doesn’t really look that coordinated.”

Sophomore and Belle Elizabeth Charbonneau represents school spirit through participation in these events. She “never misses” a chance to dress up, and her favorite theme of the week was Mamma Mia.

“I mostly like to participate in spirit weeks just because I think it’s fun to kind of be part of the community and do a fun thing with other students,” Charbonneau said. “It’s just a fun opportunity to dress up.”

STUCO started Spring Fling last year as a more inclusive alternative to Homecoming. Dai explained that the event was designed to be affordable and open to all students, with tickets priced at $15 – half the cost of Homecoming.

“Homecoming is very expensive, and ticket sales are limited to seniors at first,” Dai said. “We wanted something more accessible, especially for underclassmen, since seniors already have prom to look forward to.”

Dai contributed to the event by overseeing decorations and managing communication between STUCO, administration and the PTO. She noted that while ticket sales remained steady at around 263 attendees, the goal is to grow attendance to around 500 in future years. Advertising will be a key focus for improvement moving forward.

To stay updated on STUCO’s upcoming plans, check its instagram page: @bellaire.stuco.