“We have spirit week here?”: On school spirit (and our lack thereof)

Barnard touts its school spirit, community, and traditions in its admissions advertising, but is this really the reality?

Photo by Ming Yuan/The Barnard Bulletin

By Giselle Bradshaw

May 31, 2025

As I was tabling for McIntosh Activities Council (McAC) on Wednesday, April 23 in the Diana Center’s lobby for Spirit Week, I asked many passers-by if they wanted to sign their class poster. I was met with many confused looks and questions asking “What for?” After I explained that it was spirit week and that they could potentially win points for their class in the Greek Games by signing, many students enthusiastically signed their respective posters, but not before commenting to their friends, “I didn’t even know we had spirit week here.”

I lamented to my table partner that it was sad that some who signed had a blasé attitude towards school spirit and traditions, and that more students did not know that it was spirit week, that there were many other spirit week events, or what the Greek Games even are. 

While I will give those who are uninformed about the Greek Games a pass, as they have been canceled and subsequently revived in the past for multiple reasons, including because of protests last year, I will not excuse my fellow students for not caring about school spirit or traditions in general. I have heard many of my peers over the years, on both sides of Broadway, frequently complain that Barnard and, to a greater extent, Columbia lack school spirit and that “we’re not a state school.” However, I feel like we could be doing something about this noticeable problem and be more specific about what exactly we are complaining about.

I know that I am not free of guilt myself when it comes to having a deprecating attitude towards school spirit or towards the sometimes toxic culture at this school, but I do have a modicum of self-awareness when it comes to my own hypocrisy (especially in light of the fact that I spent the hours of free time I had on a day that I did not have class volunteering to table for a student life organization that I am not even officially a part of, but I digress). Thank you to my friends for bringing this to my attention and for informing me of the fact that “Giselle and school spirit do not mix,” despite the fact that I have allegedly become a sort of poster child for school spirit this year.

Nonetheless, after my experience in Diana, I am curious what other Barnard community members, particularly graduating seniors who spent much of their eight semesters at Barnard running and hosting community events, have to say about school spirit at Barnard and whether it is something we can all improve upon.

But first, a slight tangent. 

School spirit at our peer schools

Other women’s colleges or historically women’s colleges have their own unique traditions that could potentially spark joy and a strong sense of school spirit on their respective campuses. For example, Wellesley College plants class trees on Tree Day, students at Mount Holyoke College climb up Mount Holyoke for Mountain Day, and Simmons University celebrates springtime in its over 100-year-old tradition of May Day. And while Barnard has its own annual traditions, such as Midnight Breakfast and Big Sub, that sound appealing in theory — because yes, I do in fact want President Laura Ann Rosenbury to serve me turkey bacon and tater tots before finals week — the general consensus from the student population is that many of these events are “mid.” 

Katherine Delamere, a friend of mine who is a graduating senior at Mount Holyoke College, expressed, “I feel that school spirit is strong at Mount Holyoke, but it looks different here than at other schools. We have a lot of very popular traditions such as Convocation, a celebration that kicks off the school year; Mountain Day, a day in fall when the President spontaneously cancels classes and we all climb a nearby mountain and eat ice cream at the top; and Pangy Day, a celebration of spring and the end of classes, to name a few. These are all school-wide activities that almost everyone participates in, students and faculty alike.”

She emphasized, “At many other schools, athletics is the source of school spirit, but here at MHC, I think the community focus of our historic traditions are the source of our pride and excitement in gathering.”

This counts sharply contrasts with the experiences I and apparently many other Barnard students have had during our time here. 

So why can’t Barnard also leave students with a strong sense of school spirit like our peer institutions, especially since alumni who have positive associations and experiences with their school are more likely to donate, and in light of the fact that Barnard probably needs the help? 

School spirit at Barnard

School spirit can mean different things to different people, especially here at Barnard where it seems like everyone has a million other things to do and think about. For some, school spirit means feeling pride in their institution, for others it is a sense of community. 

Sanya Gupta (BC ’25), whom I tabled with for MacAC in Diana, shared with me that the only time they truly felt school spirit was during Midnight Breakfast and Big Sub, two of Barnard’s better-known traditions. However, this feeling, while “enjoyable” is “very fleeting” for her.

She also highlighted that Barnard students bond over their shared grievances with the school: “I have been saying this since freshman year, but I feel like at Barnard and at Columbia our school spirit is complaining about the institution or complaining about classes or just complaining in general. I think we as a student body love to do that, so I don’t actually know how to improve school spirit.”

“I think I’m kind of comparing it to other schools where they have a sense of pride in going to their school or a sense of commitment to the school. I think it doesn’t even necessarily mean that you have to like the school, but I think there’s a sense of ownership like ‘this is my school’,” she said. “I think Columbia and Barnard students do this great when they wear school sweaters or shirts and stuff out and about, but that’s one way for me of what school spirit looks like.”

Pia Velázquez (BC ’25), a Senior Council member, shared that she will attend interesting events and certain traditions like Midnight Breakfast with her friends, but she never really felt school spirit at Barnard or Columbia or that she was specifically celebrating the school.

Pia also expressed that other students may have different views about school spirit. 

“When I think about [school spirit], I feel like it is just generally being proud of the institution you go to and celebrating that with your peers. Before coming to New York and even now, when I think of the words ‘school spirit’ I think about people dressing in their class colors, maybe some face paint and activities with your class,” she said. “I don’t necessarily know if that’s what other people think of, but that’s what I think of. Of course, if other people feel differently, that is okay. I don’t necessarily think there is a specific way to feel about it.”

Rather than general school spirit, there seems to be pride attached to specific clubs or organizations and what Barnard represents to certain students.

Pia said, “For example, at Columbia when I perform with Orchesis I get really excited at the idea that this is something very cool that I can do because it’s one of my biggest interests. I really appreciate that Columbia has a club on campus that lets you do it recreationally, but I don’t necessarily think it makes me feel more so part of Columbia as an institution. I think it just makes me happy that I can do something that I enjoy without having to do it professionally or taking it too seriously.”

She emphasized that, “To me, school spirit is different. I think I enjoy going to Barnard, and I’m proud of going to Barnard for the things that it represents to me. For example, it represents the effort that I put in in high school and in college applications. It represents the effort that my parents put in to send me here emotionally and financially. It represents the effort my siblings put in because we are all scattered across the world. So, I am proud to be a college student at Barnard, but not because of the reasons that I think are more tied to the culture at Barnard.”

For Aurelia Tan (BC ’25), the Senior Class President, school spirit is about community, which is what Barnard represents to her. “School spirit means happiness and togetherness. It looks like smiles and cheers, and very long lines for free merch and food. It looks like lit up faces when you find out someone else went to Barnard, or wants to come here,” she shared.

Clearly, there are varying opinions among students about school spirit at Barnard. While there is pride related to traditions and clubs, this does not always translate to a more conventional sense of school spirit, especially on an urban campus. 

NYC: the problem or the solution?

Being in the #greatestcityintheworld gives Barnard students so many other opportunities to socialize that are arguably more exciting than attending a campus activity. When I applied to college, I chose all the schools on my list because of their proximity to or location within cities, so I completely understand the temptation to take the subway downtown to see a Broadway show rather than stay in the Morningside bubble. 

Sanya noted that being in New York City may hinder more than it helps when it comes to cultivating a campus culture that has a strong sense of school spirit since people always have the option of going somewhere off campus. 

She said, “I think Barnard and Columbia’s whole thing is the ‘city is your campus,’ and I think to an extent that filters into the structure of school spirit. I think New York City in itself is very like ‘keep to yourself, fast pace, get stuff done,’ like it is not a very social place. It has social elements, but inherently the New York City aesthetic, to me at least, is not very social butterfly-esque. And I think that sort of melds into the way our campus works.”

Pia also had similar sentiments to Sanya about how New York City impacts her social life and perception of school spirit.

“I think being in New York City definitely factors into my socializing habits. I think this also has to do with my upbringing. I’m from a big city as well, so even before I moved to New York City, growing up I never felt a very strong emotional attachment to my high school or in this case my college,” she said. “For example, here at Barnard, I will go to events if they appeal to me and they seem interesting, but I will only go if that is the case, and number two if my friends also want to go. I don’t necessarily see Barnard or Columbia-sponsored events as a way to meet other friends or celebrate school spirit. More so, I see them as just interesting activities that my friends and I can do.”

She added, “I feel like this would certainly be different if we did not live in a very big city like New York where there’s a lot of options to do [things] outside of campus.”

Aurelia also sees the temptation to explore the city especially as a commuter but emphasized that there are people on campus that try very hard to build community at Barnard. “Many people prefer to go out to the city rather than stay on campus. As a native New Yorker, I'm all for people exploring my city, but Barnard has so many people who work hard to make it a welcoming place!” she said.

Despite students having the choice to go off campus, she does not think Barnard’s urban campus necessarily “hurts” school spirit on campus though. She stated that “We just need to utilize our city more! The CEI offers great programming, and I always love hosting a food trek with Barnard’s Asian Diaspora or Gourmand.”

Maybe our school spirit is just less centralized because we are in the City, or maybe the stereotype that urban schools have less school spirit is true. Nonetheless, there does seem to be an undercurrent of pride in the hard work it takes to attend Barnard and make this school what it is.

School spirit versus community with a dash of senior regret

So, I ask again: Does Barnard have school spirit? Personally, I am not quite sure because this sense of community can sometimes be mistaken for school spirit. 

The Barnard website states that “The Barnard campus is home to a close-knit community of independently minded, adventurous students… You’ll find a culture and resources that encourage self-care and compassion for one another.” There has definitely been a push for inclusion and more community building at Barnard, so I would mostly agree with the website’s sentiment. 

However, I would also contend that while Barnard has a community that cares, you still have to dedicate time and effort to find your own place within it. I have found some of my best friends at Barnard and so have some of my fellow students, but this does not necessarily mean that we all feel a sense of school spirit within our respective corners of the community. Like Pia, I consider if my friends are going to an event before I make a decision about whether to attend. So while they are definitely interconnected, I do not think school spirit and community are necessarily the same. 

As a senior who has been constantly facing the question of whether or not I am excited to be graduating, I have been reflecting a lot on my past four years on this postage stamp of a four acre campus. While I would argue that complaining about the lack of school spirit is in itself a community-building and bonding activity like Sanya said, I do admit that I regret not engaging with traditions because “there’s always next year.” So my advice to those who still have time left here is to volunteer for McAC, start your own tradition, bring your friends along or make some new ones, and do what you can to ensure that you feel school spirit at Barnard. 

Aurelia also has an optimistic attitude and believes that we can definitely improve school spirit at Barnard, but only if we put in the work. “It looks like hosting events! It looks like saying hello to the person waiting on line for Milstein sushi or a Liz’s coffee and complimenting their outfit! It starts with us,” she said. Like Aurelia, I think we can all do our part as members of this community to “stand together” and create the school spirit we are deficient in. (Sorry for that reference, but I have read that email so many times that my eyes have literally glazed over.)

To finish off my pseudo-rant, congratulations to the Class of 2025 for winning this year’s Greek Games! Maybe Barnard will never be rah-rah about school spirit, but one can only hope. And to everyone who complains about Barnard’s lack of school spirit, please know that you can do your part and create the campus culture you want to be a part of. In the future, I hope more students participate in Spirit Week while wearing their respective class color and enjoy admin-served dining hall scrambled eggs at the end of each semester. It is as much your responsibility to buy into school spirit as it is your fellow students who dedicate their time planning and hosting events and traditions for the community.