The Opinion Editors selected this letter to the editor from The Record Vol. LXXXIII to encourage school spirit as finals approach!

To the Editor:

Last year, as some people may remember, I wrote a letter to the Editor  that  negatively  described the spirit at Hotchkiss. It went as far as calling the real Hotchkiss, “a  haven  of  apathy…where  the only  things  we’re  interested  in are frollicking around and eating Brothers  Pizza,  chasing  preppy New Canaanites, or taking nature walks.”  Because  the  letter  came on  strongly,  almost  to  the  point of  being  controversial,  I  believe that  it  accomplished  my  goal  of sparking some spirit amongst the students, especially on the sports fields. During the weeks following the letter’s printing, several times after  a  cheer  someone  would personally ask me for my approval.

This year, I would feel ridiculous writing  such  a  letter.  The atmosphere and spirit that has been shown  by  the  school  community thus far deserves to be commended instead of being reprimanded. All the way from those opening days of  Orientation  up  until  this  past weekend’s  Parent’s  Day,  school spirit has maintained an all-time high.

One look at the relatively clean record for the Discipline Committee is  proof  enough,  but  the  real evidence is shown every weekend— more people watching the Saturday night movie, a constant schedule of  entertainment  organized  by the Social Committee, and even of more importance, the impromptu activities such as tape hops, touch football, and even mud sliding. This shows to me that the students are creating  their  own  amusements and that interest and enthusiasm are  coming  from  within.  This school spirit has been highlighted, of course, by the successful Fall Holiday  and  the  make-shift  Pep Rally. Even the few Senior pranks have  been  well  received  by  the whole school, as well as being fun for those involved.

Hopefully this “holiday” atmosphere will not fade under the pressure of our tests, papers, and games during the long haul until Thanksgiving.

Weekending has tended to be a “cure” in the past, but this momentum  and  organization  of impromptu  activities  should  be able to keep students here.

Good luck to the “true blue”! Sincerely,

Laura Melly ’78