September – it’s that time of the year again: the football rivalry between Dartmouth and Bishop Stang. It’s when students proudly wear Dartmouth Green apparel and cheer on their football representatives as they crush Stang year after year after year. However, this time, Dartmouth’s victory felt bittersweet thanks to the inappropriate plans to “terrorize” our rival with one game-changing tool: a white mask.

It is hard to believe that this ‘plan’ began weeks before the home game. Updates on the plan reverberated throughout Twitter and other social media. White masks were sold out in nearby stores such as Michaels, A.C. Moore, Party City, etc. There were rumors suggesting that DHS should “tailgate” or that we should imitate The Purge. As a result, many were ecstatic for the game; others changed their minds and decided to stay home.

It wasn’t until the last possible minute that the whole white-masked “blueprint” started to shut down. That Friday newly appointed Principal John Gould went on the intercom with a calm, professional, but stern voice, warning us that any mask or other clothing that showed any signs of provocation towards Bishop Stang would not be taken lightly (using the MIAA rulebook as his backup). This caveat seemed to do the job because that very night not a single white mask appeared during the game.

Though there was much reluctant behavior among the students, it was the students themselves who made the wise choice not to wear the masks. “I think the decision not to wear the white masks at the recent football game against Stang was a smart one,” said junior Patricia Magpayo. With a dominating 46-2 win, Dartmouth surely made the right move and enjoyed a satisfying game to end the week.

“There was honestly no point to the whole mask thing,” said a senior student.

And it’s true. There was no reasonable purpose, there was no heartbreaking backstory, there wasn’t any viable motive. But there was the risk of Stang forfeiting, and the fact that there wouldn’t be any football game that showed Dartmouth winning. Many may argue that it was all for “fun” and it was just a small, harmless prank, but would the cancellation of a family event due to strangers dressed in black with a white, ominous mask be worth it?

Out of all the high schools in the neighboring areas, Dartmouth High is considered one of the best. There aren’t any videos of girl cat fights or mistreated teachers in DHS posted on YouTube for sure, but people wearing white masks and black clothing surrounding family and friends who wanted to enjoy a child-friendly high school football game seemed just as horrifying.

Although it is easy to point our fingers to the senior class for constructing such a thoughtless idea, the fault can be found in any willing participant. Magpayo added, “If we had worn the masks to the game, it would have been the end to the Slocum road rivalry.”

Why did we jeopardize the old tradition? Why go through all that trouble just to scare our competitors? We all knew that Dartmouth was going to be the victor.

The whole event was over without any major catastrophe or drama, and of course, Dartmouth came home with an outstanding win.

Dartmouth High School is a school full of amazing school spirit, yet there will always be the time where the Dartmouth Pride almost became our shame.