Spirit Week

ABC of Spirit Olympics

By Isabel Ely

Advance- Mrs. Keating and Student Council start planning as soon as we get back from Christmas break. Mrs. Keating tells us that this is what happens when they meet. “ We decide on hallway themes, where the Penny War donations go and review and edit the rules to the Spirit Olympic games.”

Basketball- The hype man is the most important player on the team, and during this event your class section has to get rowdy if you want to win. When you know your class has your back you don't want to let them down and that’s the key to win this game. Being quick, but cautious gets you through the round safe and most likely successful.

Canned Food- This year seemed to be a very successful one for canned foods. The freshmen collected 1912, the sophomores collected 3543, the juniors collected 1679, and the seniors collected 2234. In all we had a total of 9368 cans. Cans are vital to the scoring of the classes, because this gives the underclassmen an easy way to rack up points.

Dodgeball- Probably the most intense game of Spirit Olympics is dodgeball. Sophomores won 4 points because they took first place in this section.

Energy- No matter if you are playing in the games or not the energy is through the roof that day. The pressure only intensifies the competition and makes people more energetic and pumped for the games to begin.

Fortnite- Leader of the rebellion, Zach Switzer, created a poll to add fortnite to the hallway theme decorations for the sophomore class. Although many were on board with the theme, fortnite was one vote short and Student Council’s decision, Disneyram, won.

Gym- The Mulchaey Gym is the home of our basketball and volleyball games, but it is also where the games are held. The room is full and everyone is tense, blood is pumping and adrenaline rushing. The room is filled with cheering, chants and intense competition for this long awaited day.

Hallway Decorations- The seniors won first place for hallway decorations this year. Their theme was Alice in Wonderam.

Involved- Badin encourages everyone to be active in participating in Spirit Olympics. The year can drag on after winter break and the long wait until spring break, so Spirit Olympics gives us a time to have fun and get excited. No matter who you are you can get involved; play in the games, sell tickets, get rowdy in the stands, make your hallway look great and collect cans.

Jump rope- Sadly, John Doepker wasn’t swinging the rope this year in the obstacle course. Jump rope seems to be the hardest part of this course and many people mess up on it. 5 jumps may seem easy, but under pressure it’s a lot harder.

Keating- Mrs. Keating is the mastermind behind Spirit Olympics and is the one that makes it all possible. She plans and guides the students through this week as best as she can.

Losers- Sadly the freshmen came in last place this year. It’s okay because they still have 3 more years to have a comeback. Hopefully next year they won’t crash all their canned goods.

Mr. Imhoff- Whip cream is great, but maybe not when it’s smacked in your face. Ask Mr. Imhoff and he can tell you what it’s like. Brode Gibson, sophomore, got to smack Badin’s assistant principal in the face with a pie. When you sell the most raffle tickets in the school, your hard work pays off. The crowd went wild after he was pied and it got even better when Mr. Imhoff’s son, Logan Imhoff, turned him around and slapped another pie right in his face.

Next- This year the sophomores may have kept their hands on first place, but will it be the same next year? We will miss our seniors to compete against, but welcome a new group of fiesty freshies into the mix.

Obstacle Course- This section of the games is probably the hardest to complete because it’s the longest and you have to make all the right moves since just one can set you back. First you have to spin around a bat, next you jump rope, then you scooter through a line of cones. After all that you tag your teammate’s hand and repeat the process once more.

Penny Wars- This war is more than just a competition. Badin donated the money made to The Dragonfly Foundation. “The Dragonfly Foundation provides distractions from the emotional, physical, and financial toll of cancer and bone marrow transplants, as well as the post-traumatic stress associated with the trauma of diagnosis, treatment and recovery. We also work to establish connections and community at a time when patients, siblings, and caregivers feel the most alone and isolated.” according to their website.

Quiet- For a moment of peace and unity Father Ed brought us together in prayer. Setting aside all differences, the rowdy students all became quiet and thanked God for giving us a chance to be together and have fun.

Raffle Tickets- Brode Gibson, sophomore, sold 670 tickets, giving him the title as topseller this year. We surpassed our goal and sold $55,567, the average was $97.48 per student. Because we reached the goal, Badin will be having a day off for all grades on March 29th.

Sophomores- The underdogs came out on top this year and the sophomores took home the gold. The 10th graders had an advantage coming into the games because they had the most points and they never gave up. Even teacher and coordinator, Mrs. Keating, was taken by surprise that the sophomores won. “To be honest, I was very surprised the sophomores won the whole week. I don’t think that has ever happened in the seven years I’ve been at Badin. The sophomores did a great job of coming together as a class this year in all of the events.”

Tug of War- Seems like there is no needs for hairspray when the juniors still come out on top. The junior girls took first place in Tug of War for their third year in a row. Although they didn’t win the games they can still take home the title of Tug of War champs.

Unites- Even though the games bring competition and tension we still come together as a school during this week. Being a smaller school we are all pretty close, but these games unite classes together and let them share fun times.

Vicarious- Watching the games in the stands is almost as great as being in them. It’s a vicarious experience when you are watching with full intent, seeing every move, waiting for what's next. It’s almost like you are experiencing it just as those on the court are.

Walkouts- In my opinion the junior class had the best walk out idea. The other ones were overused, too long or you couldn't hear. Also nobody else blew out powder onto the court so they were pretty original with that move.

Xtra- this week is (e)xtra special at Badin. It's a time to come together as a school and as individual classes. You get to have fun and become closer with those around you. It is special for the teachers too, “I think it’s fun to see the classes come together during each event like Canned Food Drive and Hallway decorating. It’s a great way to get to see the creativity of the students that I don’t always get to see in a classroom setting.” Mrs. Keating and other teachers get to have a “proud parent” moment seeing everyone come together.

You- No matter what kind of student you are you should be apart of Spirit Olympics. You can play in the games or participate in the competitions that are in advance. Not only this, but come out of uniform during the week and support your class by rising the numbers of those who are involved because you only have four years and they go by fast.

Zoo- During the games the bleachers are packed with raging students and boasting cheers. We are wild like a zoo when we get going, and we don’t stop until it’s over.

Badin’s Spirit Week Coming Soon

By Mickayla Kowalski

The most anticipated week in the school year is right around the corner. Everybody at Badin is hype for Spirit Week. Whether you enjoy the hallway decorating, dressing up during the week, or the athletic events, there is something for everyone to get excited about.

This year the four classes had some great ideas for the hallways. After sending out their polls and having their classmates vote, student council members received their results and started preparing to transform the hallway. The freshman have decided on a classic “Ramerica” theme. The results of the sophomore class poll was very close but in the end, “DisneyRam” won the vote. The junior class also had some great ideas and have determined their theme as “Winter WonderRam”. Finally, the main hallway in the school will be decorated in a “Alice in WonderRam” theme by the senior class.

Not only is Spirit Week a chance for showing school pride, it is also a chance to wear something other than your school uniform! Each day will have a different out of uniform theme and Spirit Week points will be awarded based on class participation. Student council has put a lot of thought into the different outfit ideas and have changed some of the usual days. The new list of themes are below!

Monday - College Day

Tuesday - Groutfit

Wednesday - USA

Thursday - Jersey Day

Friday - Class Color Day

Another competition that gives your class a chance to win points for Spirit Olympics is penny wars. The goal of penny wars is that your class has the most “positive” amount of money. Every penny counts as positive change while any silver coin or dollar amount counts as negative change. So bring in pennies for your class and any silver change to put in the other classes jars!

And finally, the day everybody has been waiting for, comes on Friday. After a grueling day of classes, everybody packs into the bleachers and gets ready to cheer on their classmates. After the creative walkouts, there will be tug of war, basketball relay, obstacle relay, and dodgeball. Each class will have the chance to select their teams based on the people that participated in float meetings, canned food drive, and hallway set up/clean up. For every event, the freshmen will get to face the juniors while the sophomores will compete against the seniors.

When I talked to Student Council President, Laura Lamermayer, she said, “I'm am super excited for Spirit Week, especially because it's my senior year! My last year at Badin is flying by and it's bittersweet that my last spirit week is here. Spirit week is always a lot of fun, from the hallway decorating to the Olympics on Friday. I love how each class gets so pumped and super competitive and I can't wait to see the seniors win this year.” Obviously the seniors are ready for Spirit Week, but are they too confident? We will have to see who comes out on top after next week!

Badin is ready for Spirit Olympics. Be sure to participate and follow the rules to make this the best week of the entire year!