All About Winter Carnival

As the month of January comes to an end and the calendar flips over to February, there is one event that’s sure to be on all EHS students’ minds… WINTER CARNIVAL! This year, in particular, the excitement is heightened after last year's festivities were dampened by the height of the pandemic. However, not everyone is on the edge of their seats in anticipation of this week-long event. In fact, many underclassmen have never experienced or even heard of Winter Carnival. On top of this, the lasting presence of the pandemic raises questions about how traditions will be maintained and what the event will look like this year. As a result, students and staff share a mutual uncertainty surrounding what exactly should be expected for the end of February. To answer these questions and gain some clarity on the matter, I sat down with Senate Elected Board Member and Treasurer for the Class of 2022, Shay Gillis.

What is Winter Carnival?

“Winter Carnival is a week where classes compete against each other to engage in school spirit and have a good time before February break. It includes pep rallies and commons decorating and it is a super fun time for all!”

Is it rigged for the seniors to win?

“No. All things are fair within Winter Carnival. Seniors often win because they are spirited and excited as well as experienced within Winter Carnival. But it is definitely not rigged. You can take the class of 2020 for example, the class of 2020 lost their senior year to the junior class.”

Who judges the competitions?

“Various teachers in our school. We get a team of teachers to judge commons decorating, then coaches and other teachers at our school judge the pep rally competitions.”

What would you say is the best strategy for points?

“In my opinion, the best ways to win points is to make sure you dress up everyday,  to be super, super loud and spirited in the pep rally, and show up to the commons decorating.”

What will the activity periods be like with COVID?

“They are going to be slightly different. But there is going to be some really exciting activities that students take part in, including trivia hosted by Mr. Blais and other various activities run by teachers.”

Will there be a pep rally and if so, what will the pep rally look like?

“We are not one hundred percent sure yet. We have quite a few ideas such as tournament style pep rallies which would allow for fewer classes to be in the gym at one time. We will be sure to let you know once a decision has been made.”

Do you do any learning that week?

“Yes, it is still school.”

What are the dress up days?

“Monday is Blue Hawk Pride Day, so wear all your Exeter gear. Tuesday is Country vs Country Club, so dress either as if you are working on a ranch or going to play golf. Wednesday is Anything But a Backpack, bring your books in a crazy container. Thursday is Commons’ Theme Day so dress in accordance with your commons and Friday is Class Color Day. Seniors wear black, juniors wear white, sophomores wear blue, and freshmen wear gray.”

What are the commons’ themes?

“So the overall theme of Winter Carnival is decades and each class has chosen its own theme. The seniors are the 70s, the juniors are the 2070s, so the future, the sophomores are the 80s, and the freshmen are the 90s.”

After speaking with Shay, I had a much better idea of what to expect from Winter Carnival, and I hope the information she offered provides a clearer image to students and staff as well. If you are looking for more information on Winter Carnival, be sure to follow your class Instagram page and the EHS Student Senate Instagram page at @ehsstudentsenate. If you have suggestions or questions feel free to contact your student officers or attend the Student Senate meetings which take place every Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. in the Roy Morrisette room.  Lastly, I want to thank Shay Gillis for taking the time to sit down and talk with me, and thank you to all of the students and teachers who are working hard to make Winter Carnival 2022 a success!