Winter Week, the week after midterms, is intended to be a break from school after WHS students take their mid-year exams. However, many students have noted that the content and overall camaraderie of Winter Week has changed over the years.

“I think past Winter Weeks were more fun and entertaining,” senior Audrey Chen said. “I’ve heard in the past, when my brother was in school, it was way more fun, but now it’s more toned down.”

Like Chen, junior Emmy Levy has older siblings and has heard about their past Winter Week experiences.

“[I’ve heard] that [past Winter Weeks] were better, and that there were fewer classes and more activities,” Levy said. “It was not a very studious week.”

While this year’s Winter Week may not have measured up to stories from WHS alumni, many students claim that there has been an improvement from last year.

“I think that this year’s Winter Week was the same as most years, but it was better than last year,” sophomore Billy Cossart said.

While favoring the 2017 Winter Week, Levy agrees that there was an improvement from last year.

“I think it was better than last year because there were more things to go to,” Levy said. “But I don’t think it was better than my freshman year.”

The abundance of activities and events that were planned this year played a large role in students’ perception of an improved Winter Week.

“I think that this year’s Winter Week was pretty good because we had some entertaining things happen,” Chen said.

This year’s Winter Week included various shows, speakers, presentations and activities. Teachers were able to sign up their classes for specific events during class time, and students could attend additional events after school as well.

“My favorite part was the talent show and the great performances,” Cossart said.

Levy also enjoyed the entertainment of this year’s Winter Week.

“I really liked Friday because I liked the talent show and the Window [Dance Ensemble]. They were really good,” Levy said. “I also liked K-pop.”

Chen’s favorite part was also the multitude of shows; however, she had a much more hands-on experience due to her involvement in Window.

“My favorite part about Winter Week this year was helping backstage at the Window performance,” Chen said.

Although it seems that many students feel there was an overall improvement in the content of this year’s Winter Week, some have also voiced complaints about parts of Winter Week that they did not enjoy as much.

“My least favorite part was the drug talks,” Cossart said. “They were boring, and I don’t think they help.”

Chen’s least favorite part of Winter Week was this year’s movie, Hidden Figures, shown during third block on Tuesday.

“My least favorite thing was watching the movie,” Chen said. “Even though I liked the movie, I think the setting wasn’t the greatest because everyone in the theater was a little loud and distracting.”

Levy’s critique of Winter Week, however, was not of a specific activity or event, but of her teachers’ unwillingness to participate in them.

“I didn’t like how sometimes teachers wouldn’t let you go to the event of that block, because that’s annoying,” Levy said.

The effectiveness of Winter Week’s intention, which is primarily to give students a break from academics, differs among students.

“For me, as a senior this year, it was effective [at giving us a break],” Chen said. “But I know others still got a lot of homework, and it wasn’t exactly a break for them. I do think that it needs to be more of a chill time.”

While not a senior like Chen, Levy admits to a decrease in the academic rigor during Winter Week.

“Yes, I think Winter Week is [effective in giving students a break] in that there are no tests and there’s not a lot of work,” Levy said.

In hopes of improving future Winter Weeks, students recommended various changes that could be made by both Student Council and the administration.

“I think that there should be more events that the students get to pick,” Cossart said.

Levy agrees that an increase in Winter Week activities would improve the student experience.

“[We should] get more activities or make it so that classes are more fun,” Levy said. “So we could really get a break from school after midterms.”

Chen thinks that the changes that need to be made to improve Winter Week lie in the hands of teachers and administrators.

“I think that there should be a rule that there is no homework and no quizzes, and teachers shouldn’t start new topics during Winter Week,” Chen said.

WSPN detailed the history of Winter Week at WHS in an interactive timeline last year.

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