It’s rivalry week here at Greeley West High School and with that comes the Vs. Spirit Week. When thinking about 2023, the biggest rivalry in my opinion was the whole Barbenheimer that happened over this summer. There was no bigger pop culture trend this summer other than maybe Taylor Swift. One of the great spirit days that our Student Council came up with for this week was a harmless Barbie vs. Oppenheimer day, encouraging students to show spirit dressing up in pink like Barbie, or in dark dress colors like Oppenheimer. Harmless.
So you might be wondering, why do the signs around the school say Barbie vs “I am Kenough” instead of Barbie vs Oppenheimer? I will tell you it is because of our administration listening to a staff member whine and complain about how dressing up as a character from a movie was offensive. The staff member’s complaint stemmed from the history of Oppenheimer’s Manhattan Project affecting the indigenous people of New Mexico. Studies have shown that the people of New Mexico have had higher cancer rates, perhaps in part due to radiation from the nuclear bomb testing. Principal Jeff Cranson – in an email fact-checking this editorial said “The message from me, the principal, to Student Council sponsors was to not change the spirit day.” Regardless, the seed was put in place by even discussing it with the Student Council and none of this changes the fact that the spirit day was changed.
The world is so sensitive now that you can’t even dress up for a spirit day. Come on people, how soft are we going to make this world? It also does not help when one person can complain to administration and can get a spirit day canceled over a weekend. Was the movie Oppenheimer offensive? In that sense, the Barbie movie could be viewed as offensive and sexist due to the way the male characters are portrayed and all the pro-female innuendos. If the Oppenheimer half is cancelable, the whole day should be canceled.
Is dressing up like a 1940s scientist less offensive than guys dressing up as a shallow stereotype from a fictional, fantasy-based character from Barbie? If the complaint has nothing to do with the movie or the dress, then what is the problem with dressing up for a school spirit day? People have to remember that the intent of the day is to dress up to show school spirit during Central vs West rivalry week. The whole point of the day is to showcase rivalry. It’s about fashion, color, and pop culture. Not about history, education, and culture.
What the administration did not take into consideration was how that would affect the Student Council. How does admin think that censoring Barbie vs. Oppenheimer made students feel? If the administration cares so much about feelings, what about the students and the Student Council?
I propose us as students still dress up as what the day was intended to be, Barbie vs Oppenheimer. I say we take a stand and show that the Barbie vs Oppenheimer is just a fun way to show school spirit.
