Every year, Kennedy High School’s varsity show choir Happiness Inc. dresses in bright yellow jackets to promote upcoming performances.
Happiness Inc. has an annual “jacket ceremony” for incoming members of the group. This ceremony was brought to Kennedy by former director Jim Kimmel in 1972. Current director Storm Ziegler said Kimmel came up with the idea after seeing the Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Team’s signature windbreakers. Kimmel wanted to do something similar with Happiness, so he went to Armstrong’s Department Store and spoke with the manager. Armstrong’s owner stated that he could only get the color yellow in bulk, thus the yellow jacket tradition was born. The tradition still stands strong to this day within the group.
The image of owning a Happiness jacket can bring students joy with the new responsibility of representing the varsity show choir. Students also like to present their jackets by pairing them with pins and dressy clothes. The ceremony itself can be nerve-wracking for new members as they aren’t familiar with the group and don’t know who will present them with their jackets.
“When members don’t have someone volunteering to give them a jacket, there’s always someone to fill in that spot,” sophomore Saul Ervin said. “Which makes the event very inclusive.”
Ervin said he was unsure of who would be giving him his jacket at his first ceremony.
“I thought it was a pretty cool process of showing new members how they are a part of a group,” Ervin said. “As someone who knew so many people already in Happiness, I wasn’t sure who, but I was excited to see that Sam [Larson] was the one who had volunteered to give me my jacket.”
The Happiness Inc. jacket ceremony brings together its veterans and provides a welcoming environment for incoming members.
“I love the jacket ceremony and it makes me feel so excited for the season to come,” senior manager Kenna McHenry said. “It’s so exciting to be a part of something that is so special and that I get to share it with others. I love the event and I feel like it’s such a special part of Happiness Inc.”
