Spirit Week, the run-up to Homecoming, opened with a splash on Monday, Nov. 9, when 10 teachers dove into the pool fully clothed. The immersion was a thank you to GEO for raising over $10k for water wells in underdeveloped countries, but the whole campus, many with Earth balloons, was out at Davis Field and Singh Aquatics Center for the event, so a festive air prevailed.
The week culminated on Nov. 13 with a homecoming rally on Davis Field. Each upper school class put on its own skit, often with amusing references to pop culture. The freshmen set out to solve the mysterious “murder” of Hannah Montana, while the sophomores incorporated characters from the TV shows “House” and “24.” Gr. 11 cast themselves as detectives from CSI to rescue their kidnapped star singer. Not to be outdone, the seniors worked “Survivor” into their skit, capped off with a thoroughly entertaining dance number inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Also included was a “Name That Tune” competition, in which teachers and advisors representing each class had to name a tune played by the Harker Jazz Band. It ended with a tie between Gr. 10 and Gr. 12.
The first two rounds of the Tug of War were also held, with the seniors defeating the sophomores and the juniors defeating the freshmen in a do-over, after it was discovered one team had the incorrect number of participants.
The highlight of the day was an immensely entertaining relay race that involved blindfolds, faces stuffed with chocolate pudding, firefighters’ outfits, water balloons mounted on football helmets and classmates being dunked in water. Gr. 12 emerged the winner.
On Thurs., Nov. 12, a Firefighter Relay was held at Rosenthal Field. For this event, a piece of a firefighter’s uniform was placed at a different point on the field. Students from each grade level had to don the firefighter’s pants, then the jacket and finally the helmet. Once the uniform was complete, the student then had to reach other end of the field, where a classmate was waiting to be “rescued” and carried back halfway to the starting point. The class of ’10 won all four rounds of the race to be declared the decisive winners of the day’s event.
Wednesday started off with more people getting wet in the synchronized swimming class competition at the Singh Aquatics Center. Teams from each class pulled out their best moves, joined by teachers (extra points were awarded for each teacher the class could convince to get wet), all to the tunes of Earth, Wind and Fire. In addition the 2009 Xbox 360® Get Up Tour came to the US campus, complete with a half-pipe on a trailer, to deliver a pointed message that tobacco isn’t cool.
Monday afternoon, class eagles were judged by staff and faculty members. The giant plaster raptors are decorated by each class and judged on creativity, spirit and execution. “The themes for the classes were Earth, Wind, Fire and Water,” said Desiree Mitchell, (Lyndsey, Gr. 5), publications manager for the Office of Communication. “The freshman class was my fav. Their creative use of the earth theme, placing the eagle on the globe and each quadrant of the box having a tree painted to reflect each element, was pretty original. The seniors’ eagle, with its creative use of lights to simulate fire, was my second favorite.”