During the last week of April, a new wardrobe trend took over the halls of Archer: Teachers were dressing in coordinated outfits, but keeping quiet about why. What started as a curious mystery didn’t stay one for long.
The trend began Monday, April 28, when nearly every teacher showed up dressed in all black. Many students assumed it was a coincidence until Tuesday, when the faculty swapped black for bright sports jerseys, repping everything from local teams to Archer athletics. By Wednesday, any remaining doubt of a coincidence vanished as teachers showed up in mismatched and clashing outfits for what some students have called “Wacky Wednesday.”
As students asked questions, faculty and staff remained evasive. Freshman Ila Katz described her observations and reactions to this new mystery.
“I’ve noticed a lot of them have been dressing similarly or out of the normal,” Katz said. “The mass amount of teachers wearing all black [on Monday] made it suspicious, and then on Tuesday they were wearing jerseys and sports gear, which was not normal for most teachers.”
When asked about the alleged themed dressing during the week, theater teacher Tracey Poverstein said the perceived coordinated dressing happened to be a “coincidence.”
“[Students] were asking why we were all wearing black — I didn’t even notice we were all wearing black,” Poverstein said. “My daughter asked me what was going on, and I really couldn’t say.”
Poverstein responded similarly when her daughter, Ava McQuade (’26), asked the same thing at school. Even at home, McQuade said she was not able to get any inside information.
“She has not shared the inside scoop with me,” McQuade said. “I did ask, and she would not tell me.”
Katz also attempted to get answers from faculty, but said she could not discern a definitive explanation.
“They’ve made up dumb excuses,” Katz said. “[Some said] that their laundry machines weren’t working, or that they couldn’t find anything else to wear, or that that’s just what they planned to wear that day.”
In the absence of answers, rumors had taken hold. Katz said some students speculated that the “secret spirit week” would conclude with a flash mob during Friday’s lunch period.
“Some people at first thought it was a flash mob they were going to do,” Katz said.
Head of Scholastic Journalism Kristin Taylor revealed that she was the one behind the teachers’ themed dress, naming it “Stealth Spirit Week.” Taylor said she saw other teachers doing this on social media and wanted to bring it to Archer to boost campus morale.
“I saw on Instagram reels that some teachers across the country were doing a stealth spirit week where they would just show up different days wearing themed dress, but then not say anything, and just [pretending] everything was normal,” Taylor said. “I thought that was hilarious.”
Taylor said she and other teachers did not originally plan to do a flash mob, but decided to in response to student rumors. McQuade said the result was a pleasant surprise.
“I was surprised. It was funny to see the dance, and my peers and I thought it was really fun to watch,” McQuade said. “I think that it added some spice to the week and a little bit of fun.”
Taylor said her favorite aspect of the stealth spirit week was bringing joy to the community, especially during the last month of school.
“One of the things I’ve always loved about this school is it’s whimsy. I love that we are a school that isn’t afraid to be a little silly, to make yourself foolish, and to take a risk,” Taylor said. “Doing this as a faculty and staff was a way for all of us to remember the joy of teaching — it’s not always about deadlines and grading and students worrying about college acceptance — it can also be showing up in a silly outfit and pretending that everything’s normal.”
