By Vikram Bala ‘20 and Kira Lu ’20, Editors-in-Chief

Many students and faculty would describe spirit week as a unifying event, one of “celebration, joy and pride,” as Mr. Guiteau, Director of Equity and Inclusion Programs, puts it. Although spirit week is constantly evolving, transitioning from a skit to a video and hosting new themes each year, it represents years of sustained tradition. This year, the School Council made the decision to replace USA day with a beach-themed day, sparking controversy in the NA community as to how we as an institution should embrace our nation. 

School Council made the “challenging decision not to include USA day in this year’s Spirit Week,” according to School Council President Sophia Ludtke ‘20. She comments, “In the past, USA day has failed to unify [the NA community], instead creating a rift at NA, even making some students feel as if they were no longer welcome or no longer felt safe at NA.” The dissonant atmosphere surrounding our nation’s politics right now has only contributed to this divide during USA day. The values that are considered to make the US great aren’t so clear-cut; the differences in each of our interpretations of what the U.S. means to us cause the fervor surrounding the issue. Sophia adds, “We certainly recognize that patriotism and pride for our country still hold an important place in our community, and School Council is working with EIT to plan a series of discussions and events related to these topics in the winter and spring.” 

Spirit Week is not intended to be a celebration of our country, but rather a means to bring the school community together and foster school spirit. USA day was intended to generate excitement and school spirit by bringing our community together around a topic that is meaningful to everyone. Unfortunately, USA day simply isn’t able to generate the same cohesion among the faculty and student body as it could, and thus does not serve a role in fulfilling Spirit Week’s purpose. However, in a time where we increasingly focus on our individual identities–our differences in race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and so much more–it is easy to forget about one of the commonalities we share in the NA community: our country. In addition, it is easy for us to speak about the faults of the US, but this is also a place that has done much for us. The USA is our current home, the foundation upon which NA was built and was allowed to flourish, and a source of hope for many of our immigrant parents. USA day did not do justice to the gratitude we owe our country. 

It’s important to acknowledge how closely intertwined the history of NA is with the history of America itself. Mr. Guiteau pointed out that NA was founded just two years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, and “our school was burned down by the British. We have just reason as a school to celebrate the United States. It becomes a question of ‘how do we celebrate the US as a country that has its faults?’” Mr. Guiteau also raises the point that “celebrating difference is a very American thing”– one goal of celebrating our individual identities proudly is to come together. It’s evident that differences in culture are part of what makes up America’s identity, but is celebrating our differences enough to fully address our national identity? Some might say that students should learn to not get “easily” offended over items brought in on USA day and that taking USA day away shows a lack of support for our country: that is incorrect. To truly celebrate national identity and show support for our country, not only must our differences be celebrated, but our shared suffering must be discussed (e.g. 9/11), our military must be recognized and honored, and our culture as Americans must be cherished. USA day by no means fulfilled these goals. However, whatever part of celebrating national identity it did fulfill will now be lost. This dearth of celebration of our national identity must be compensated for. Senior Council Vice President Aidan Orr ‘20 explains: “We are definitely planning events later in the year which will allow the community to examine what it means to be an American in this day and age, and how national identity intersects with other things which we identify with.”

Individual identities, combined with suffocating stereotypes on what these identities mean, can cloud people’s ideas on national identity; for example, many students, especially minorities and those of color, often feel as if they don’t belong in America. It is extremely common for both of us (Kira and Vikram) to be asked where we are from, with the obvious assumption that we are not really “American.” Even though we are both American citizens, we will always be seen as different: a Chinese girl and an Indian guy. However, is it reasonable to ever believe than a Chinese girl and Indian guy will be seen as the stereotypical American citizens? No. Rather, it’s the acknowledgment of one’s Asian heritage, or maybe their Latin American roots, that makes America special; America is the place where one can be European, Iranian, Indian, Chinese, or come from any other background, yet still associate with American culture. One cannot deny that our country has its faults, includinge racism, discrimination, exclusion, and issues with school shootings, but celebrating our country does not mean forcing anyone to support ideas they do not favor. Instead, we should celebrate our pride for our country, our gratitude for everything it has provided for us, and the fact that our cherished NA community was built upon the roots of this country. While it is easy to criticize our country, we all have something we can appreciate about America and be thankful for. Aidan Orr ‘20 adds, “Despite its faults, America is arguably the greatest nation in the history of time, and we are incredibly lucky to be here. Both of my parents are immigrants, and they left the familiarity of their home countries and came to America for a reason. Nowhere else will you find the opportunity that exists here to be successful, regardless of where you came from.” Thus, it is in the interest of our community to build cohesion, which is best done by celebrating our biggest commonality: the United States of America.