Nov. 11, 2025
By Alexandra Lourenço
Editor-in-Chief
Fridays used to just signal the end of another school week. Now, with the launch of Bear Pride Fridays, they’re also an occasion to celebrate community, connection and school spirit.
Every Friday, students and teachers are encouraged to wear Lyndhurst attire, and certain Fridays will be designated competition days where students and staff wearing spiritwear can participate in activities such as raffles. Dates will be announced through email and on each grade level’s Google Classroom.
Vice principal Ms. Ringen said she hopes Bear Pride Fridays promote a positive school climate and culture.
“When you put that sweatshirt or t-shirt on, you [show that you] really love the town [and] love your school,” Ringen said. “I always say, ‘Represent your friends, your family [and] the name on the back,’ but you’re also representing the name on the front.”
Ringen said this new custom will give members of the LHS community a way to show their school spirit throughout the year.
“I want to keep Bear Pride Fridays a weekly tradition [so] that Friday [game] night feel [carries into] every week going into June,” Ringen said.
She said this tradition is also a way for the high school’s organizations to promote themselves.
“There are so many clubs. There are so many activities. [We] collectively come together to rock that Lyndhurst gear [and] show what [we] are proud of,” Ringen said.
She said this tradition not only engages students but gives teachers something to look forward to.
“Our hardworking teachers are amazing,” Ringen said. “They know, ‘Alright, cool, I get to be a little comfier on Friday going into the weekend while also supporting our students.’”
Student Government Association advisor Mrs. Auteri said that she has been advocating for a tradition like this for years.
“I get excited to participate, and I’m happy that I’m impacting the school in a positive way.”
“It builds the morale of the school,” Auteri said. “The morale has been very low, and I think that it definitely shows [support for the] sports teams or whatever’s going on in the school.”
Although Bear Pride Fridays are official, competitions have not yet begun, and details about how it will be monitored remain undetermined.
Auteri said she and Ringen are still figuring out how to keep track of participation.
“We don’t have homerooms, [and] we don’t have a certain group of the classes together, so it’s challenging for us to take a tally,” Auteri said.
Junior Taylor Paglio, who is the Class of 2027 public relations officer, said the competitive aspect of Bear Pride Fridays will encourage engagement.
“You obviously want to do better than the teachers. There are more kids, so you should do better than [them],” Paglio said.
She said this tradition will succeed due to its simplicity.
“It’s very easy to wake up [and] throw on something blue and gold,” Paglio said. “I get excited to participate, and I’m happy that I’m impacting the school in a positive way.”
Sophomore class president Nicholas Brennen said that, although he has not seen much involvement so far, he expects this to change.
“As the school year progresses and as we get more into the Bear Pride Fridays, I think it’s definitely going to be a more prominent thing,” Brennen said.
He said Bear Pride Fridays will keep students’ spirits high.
“They [will] fall in love with showing [their] pride,” Brennen said. “It definitely makes the school a lot more fun. It gets people a lot more involved in things. It connects people in a different way.”
