By Jacob Furst ’16, Section Editor

At around midnight on August 23, the School Council was gathered in its fifth meeting of the day when a motion was brought forth.  The motion was quite simple: the council would discard one of two red and black themed days during Spirit Week to allow for a new red, white, and blue themed day.  The advocates for this motion explained that two red and black days would be redundant and boring, and that a USA day would allow students to express their patriotism and allow the school community to pay tribute to the country in which it resides.

The opposition argued that while the majority of people would enjoy the idea, some members of the community do not identify with the United States and would therefore feel uncomfortable dressing in the nation’s colors.  A few students, they argued, would even make a stand and refuse to participate, costing their respective grades spirit points and creating separation within the school.  After a heated debate, the motion ultimately failed.

However, a few weeks into the school year a member of the student body created an online petition, calling on the administration to permit a USA day.  Unfortunately, a few signees, of whom there were at one point 152, misconstrued the petition’s purpose; these members of the community thought that the administration had denied the student body the right to show its patriotism.  The petition, which was meant to be a demonstration of popular sentiment, quickly turned into a platform for criticism of the administration and the school as a whole.  Through the comments section, signees admonished the school for its opposition to a clearly righteous and innocent concept in USA day.

To disperse confusion, Matt Thekkethala, School Council President, announced during Morning Meeting, “USA day is, and always has been, a decision of the School Council.  The council will vote again on the motion.”  The environment was tense at the following council meeting.  At one point in the discussion, Ms. Pegeen Galvin, Dean of Students and Administrative Representative on the council, reported that she had received numerous emails from the community asking if she was to blame for the patriotic suppression.  She said, “I generally have a very thick skin, but I admit I was shaken when my patriotism — which I believe includes everyone’s right to voice a dissenting opinion — was called into question.”  Eventually, the council passed the motion as a means of minimizing controversy.

USA day began simply as a pitch to wear three particular colors; however, it became political, and then deeply personal for some members of the community.  The vast majority of students who signed the online petition saw the idea in its simplicity.  Chris Paradis ’16, a petition signee, commented, “I just thought it would be fun.”

Newark Academy students are extremely fortunate to attend a school whose administration includes the student body in its decision-making process.  Whereas students in most schools are shut out from this process altogether, Newark Academy students are both embraced and welcomed.  Sadly, many have come to see the administration as the opposition.  The truth is that the collective purpose of this group of people, which includes deans, principals, and the head of school, is to improve the student body’s experience as it passes through high school.  These leaders of the community encourage students to speak their opinions, which is what makes the school unique. However, the community’s ability to voice its opinions both constructively and respectfully is what makes Newark Academy excellent.