By Gabriel Alvizures
Porter Day is Greenport High School's annual day of fun and games, featuring a spirited competition among all grades. Each class competes in various activities throughout the day to accumulate points and win the coveted trophy wheel.
The festivities kicked off with the Dance Competition, where each grade showcased their choreographed performances in front of the entire school, including teachers and judges. This year, the seniors took home the trophy with their impressive routine, which included a special guest appearance by the legendary security guard, Tate.
Next up was Trivia, where teams of four to five students from each class faced off in a Family Feud-style setup. Mr. Buckley served as the trivia host, posing questions that tested students' knowledge. The Sophomores stunned the audience with their trivia prowess, winning the round with ease.
The Spelling Bee followed, featuring those students who made it through the first round on stage. Contestants faced three levels of word difficulty, rotating turns. The stakes were high: any misspelled word would result in the loss of a team member. It was a tight competition, but the Juniors emerged victorious, defeating the Freshmen in a thrilling final round.
Next came the STEM Challenge, where teams of four or five competed to build the tallest card tower using only a deck of cards and tape. While many towers toppled during construction, the seniors claimed victory with a tower measuring 83 cm tall.
Volleyball was the first athletic event of the day. The previous day's advisory games determined the finalists. The Juniors faced off against the Sophomores for third place, with the Juniors emerging victorious in a closely contested match. The Seniors then dominated the Freshmen, securing the championship title.
The Basketball tournament featured talented players from each grade. In the initial rounds, Freshmen played the Sophomores, while Seniors faced the Juniors. The Sophomores easily defeated the Freshmen, while the Seniors pulled ahead in a close match against the Juniors, ultimately winning. In the subsequent full-court games, the Juniors narrowly beat the Freshmen for third place in an overtime shootout, while the Seniors showcased their skills against the Sophomores to clinch first place.
Next, everyone headed outside for the Relay Race, with four runners from each grade racing 200 meters each. The competition was fierce, but the Sophomores sped ahead to take first place, followed by the Seniors, Juniors, and Freshmen.
Returning indoors, students participated in the Water Bottle Flip Relay. About 15 students from each grade lined up to flip Gatorade bottles, with each successful flip earning points. After four rounds, the competition ended in a three-way tie for first place among the Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors. Ultimately, the Juniors triumphed, followed by the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
The Hula Hoop Throwdown sparked some debate. In this dodgeball-style game, students from each grade attempted to score by shooting balls into a bin, earning hula hoops to build a tower. Despite some teams bending the rules, the Juniors came out on top, followed by the Seniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen.
Scooter Hockey was the next highlight. Teams of 10 to 12 players, seated on scooters and wielding mini field hockey sticks, aimed to score as many goals as possible. The Freshmen defeated the Sophomores in a tightly contested match. After a scoreless game between the Seniors and Juniors that went to penalty shootouts, the Seniors emerged victorious. The final match saw the Seniors dominate the Freshmen, securing first place.
The day concluded with the Goofy Games, which included three events. The first game, the Table Roll, had each grade working together to roll a teammate on a table to the finish line. The Juniors narrowly won this race. However, the results of the second Goofy Game were controversial due to judging errors. The final event was the Tug of War, which also ended without a clear winner, leaving participants divided.
Porter Day is always an exciting and memorable occasion. Despite a few hiccups, this year's festivities will certainly be a day to remember!