Administration Hopes to Redirect Spirit

By Ashley Nnabue ’16

It is difficult to attend Sherwood and not be aware of the occasional bathroom party. Hordes of students, numbering from a dozen to more than 50 people, screaming and yelling in a hallway as they tramp into a boys’ bathroom together is hard to miss. What may seem like fairly innocent fun to the participants has proven to have the potential to become an uncontrollable and dangerous event.

Bathroom parties at the school are a fairly recent phenomena of the past four years where students, usually males, gather at a specific school bathroom between class periods to chant, jump, and build excitement for a much anticipated sports game later that day, or simply to blow off steam. The occasion tends to occur on the days of important football or boys’ basketball games, but also has taken place in past years in the late springtime as students anticipate the end of a school year.

Word gets around through mass text messages that reach nearly every individual within the school. The message sparks encouragement by highlighting the importance for everyone to participate if he or she has school spirit. Although it is meant to be fun, students fail to realize the danger and damage that bathroom parties can cause.

For the most recent bathroom party on November 13, students were encouraged to get hyped for the football playoff game against Howard. A first bathroom party that day took place between 6th and 7th periods in the upper C-hall. A second and larger party took place again between 7th and 8th periods in the same location. In the frenzy, a student accidentally injured security guard Andy Blasher. As Blasher tried to prevent students from leaving the bathroom, he was shoved in the shoulder, causing an injury for which he received surgery on December 16. Blasher is scheduled to return to Sherwood in March, but will be taking legal action regarding the incident. For the time being, security guard Gabriel Palamo will be filling in.

“If people are getting hurt, it is not school spirit but unorganized chaos that detracts from it,” said Pat Rooney, the head of the school’s security team. “It is always boys because girls are smart enough not to go into dirty bathrooms and be stupid.”

Principal Bill Gregory angrily made a public announcement to the student body during 8th period on November 13 and sternly made clear that he will not tolerate the reckless behavior that occurred during the two bathroom parties that day. He also stressed that he appreciates students’ school spirit and wants that spirit to continue, but that students need to channel it in appropriate ways. Activities such as a flash mob would be acceptable. Gregory said that there will be severe consequences for students who participate in any bathroom parties in the future.