Dress-up days have been a tradition at Rider for more than 32 years, and with a wide variety of students at Rider, it’s not a surprise that some participate, while others don’t.

For senior Seth Allen, participating is hard because he doesn’t know what days are dress-up days and what the theme even is, even with the reminds that are sent out.

“I don’t have enough time usually to participate, because they send them [the reminds] out at like seven o’clock at night and I don’t look at my phone until the next morning by then,” he stated.

However, it’s a different story with junior Makenzie Baker. She explained that participating is fun and earns her thespian points for theater. Baker also plans to dress up for future dress-up days, if she remembers.

Junior, twins Elise and Emily Wolf also enjoy dress-up days for different reasons. Elise likes dress-up day as a way to express herself, free from judgement of others.

“I think they’re really cool, to get everyone to really raise school spirit, and just like bust out whatever you have in your closet you don’t normally wear like your crazy pants or jazzy socks,” she said.

However, her sister, Emily, enjoys dressing-up because it’s a way to see what she has in her closet that she didn’t know about and a way to see kind of how people think creatively.

“They’re a cool way to get to see, like have an insight on people’s created sides, even the ones who say they aren’t creative you can see what they think.” She explained

Students aren’t the only ones who participate, as CEC instructor of Electrical Technology, and Rider Teacher of Principles of Industrial Trades Christopher Wilbur is one of the few teachers who goes all out. He has dress-up for all of the dress-up days and plans to dress-up for more.  

“My goal is to get more students and staff to join in and have some fun,” he said. “To let the students know it’s okay to have school spirit and most of all it is to get the students to smile.”

Coach Michael Simmons is one of the shyer staff members, so the extra attention is something he doesn’t seem to want.  Even though he may not have participated in a dress up day yet, but he doesn’t think they are a bad idea.

“Dress out days are fun.” he said, “I do plan on participating  in the very near future, and hope it’s something all schools always have every year.”