NEWS

Spirit Week: Fun and school spirit
By: Jennifer N., Bishops College, St. John's, NF

My name is Jennifer and I am a student at Bishops College in St. John's, Newfoundland. Every year we take a week out of the school year to celebrate, taking part in different activities within our school, to show our school spirit. This year we celebrated Spirit Week from March 5 - 9th. Each day of the week had a different theme. The themes and activities vary from year to year and anyone in the school can participate in these activities, even staff.

We started off the week relaxed and comfortable, in our pajamas. MONDAY, March 5th was Pajama Day.

At recess and lunch Rubber Boot races were held. This is where students or staff get to put on a pair of rubber boots. The competition goes like this: there are four contestants at one time; each competitor has to run to the end of the gym where a baseball bat awaits them; then they have to put their forehead on the top of the bat and spin around 15 times. A pylon is placed in the middle of the gym with a volleyball placed on top.

The GOAL: The first person to finish their spinning and takes the volleyball off the pylon wins the race. If you have ever seen it or participated in this race you know that it is a lot of fun.

Student volunteers also began taking bids in the lobby from other students for Friday's Slave Day.

TUESDAY was Would you still be my friend if I dressed like this? day. You could dress any way you wanted. You can certainly pick out the creative and spirited people from everyone else on this day. Some very interesting outfits!!! Another competition, "Horses, Knights and Cavilers" was also held in the gym. Those participating took a partner and had to walk around in a circle. When one of the student council members yells, for example, "horses" everyone had to get to their partner and get in the position. The same goes for "Knights" and "Cavilers".

WEDNESDAY, third day of Spirit Week, was Hawaiian Day. On this day most people were in flowered shirts, skirts and shorts. There were two competitions on this day. The Hoolahoop Race and the Limbo competition. In the Hoolahoop race people got in groups of four or five. There are four teams. Each team member had to run up to the end of the gym and hoolahoop 10 times. Each person had to run back and tag their other team member. The first team to have all of their members take a turn and sit down were the winners.

The second activity was very competitive. The Limbo competition. Many people tried to go under the bar but soon found they couldn't when the bar was lowered. This activity is a lot of fun. Especially when it gets down to two or three people.

Everyone cheered for the person they most wanted to win. The game becomes very hard when the bar gets very low. The participants had a lot of fun throughout the whole activity.

On THURSDAY, the fourth day, the student volunteers finished taking bids for Slave Day and collected the money from people who made the highest bids on each graduate.

This day featured a Strut contest. Each participant walked down the middle of the gym showing off his best strut. Everyone had a part in this activity as the winner was decided by applause.

After this activity the student council had a student band on stage. You could stand up and watch them or you get out and dance. Students hung out, danced and had fun.

These activities matched perfectly with the theme for the day, Retro Day. Everyone was dressed in retro style clothing.

FRIDAY, Slave Day, was the most fun (not necessarily for the seniors though!).

This event was held to raise money for the graduating class. Every graduate's name was put on a big sheet of bristol board. Anyone in the school community could bid and pay money to have the graduate of their choice be their slave from first thing in the morning until 1:00 p.m.

The graduates had to do whatever the slave drivers told them to do. If not, the senior had to pay double of what they were paid for in the first place. For example, I was bought for $5.00 so if I didn't show up to school that day I had to pay the office $10.00 to go towards the graduation.

It was quite an interesting day. There were two activities that slave drivers could put their slaves into, if they wish to do so. At recess there was aerobics and at lunch there was a walkman competition. There was someone directing the aerobics. All the slaves had to do whatever that person was doing. With their outfits on, provided by their slave drivers, some of them were very funny to watch. The Walkman competition was also very amusing. Each slave had to get up on the stage in the gym with a walkman and sing whatever they have been given in the walkman.

Some slave drivers really embarrassed the graduates. They had the seniors sing foolish songs and sing it over and over again until they did it to the person's satisfaction. Another activity were tying a whole bag of cheesies together with string and writing a letter to them in spaghetti. The highest bid for a slave this year was for $31.00.

At the end of every Spirit Week, Friday night, there is a dance. This year was a little different as there was a Much Music Video Dance. It was a lot of fun and quite different from the dances we've had at the school previously.

Throughout the week you could see the students' and staff's spirit and competitiveness. It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it .