March can be an awkward time of year. The gloomy weather makes a rough and unsubtle transition from winter to spring; my wardrobe jumps from chunky sweaters and rainboots to tank top straps the width of my fingertips. In March, there is a tantalizing distance from dances and the December holidays, the start of the semester, where everything is new again. Summer, equally as far, feels like a dream. As always, Dean Chabon came to save the day, announcing the first-ever Advisory Olympics!
Preparation began in our advisory groups. We settled on names and costumes embodying the personalities of our teams that have been in development since the first Thursday of the school year. Next, we agreed on the nominees representing us in the Olympics—a unique opportunity to showcase unusual talents or try something new.
On Monday, March 13th, we filed into the gymnasium in our team uniforms of tasteful headbands and handmade t-shirts. After finding our fellow advisees, we relaxed on the wooden bleachers, waiting for the first game to begin. The Olympics started off with Cookie Face. Game number two was inspired by a fusion of Cup Pong and Tic Tac Toe. The contestants crouched to their knees, searching for the best angle to drive the ping-pong balls into the small grates. The game ended shortly, with the gold, silver, and bronze winners being crowned within seconds of one another. A sense of triumph and victory filled the air while many other advisors walked away disappointed but invigorated for the next game.
Following that, Chabon briskly explained the rules of the crochet race. The event would end when the last soccer ball dropped, and the crocheters' goal was to create the longest chain of yarn. The whistle rang, and the crocheters sacrificed their fingers at their agile speed, trusting their hands to know the yarn like a map. They continued while the games moved on to Defy Gravity, a quest to keep three balloons up in the air simultaneously. This was a tough challenge that ceased swiftly.
The final game commenced: soccer juggling. Many students of the College Prep community were well-practiced in this discipline, keeping their soccer balls in the air for an impressive amount of time. Finally, it came down to a tight top three, including a sibling rivalry. To assert more of a challenge, it became a requirement to use multiple body parts, eliminating the bronze medalist. Then a second task was added: using your head to intensify the tension. The two remaining players—Maia Beltran and Derek Wang—continued to last a remarkable while until Derek Wang finally became the winner, ending the crochet race as well.
At long last, it was time to hear the results. Measuring the crocheted chains created the second sibling rivalry of the event: Alexis and Jacq tying for gold, both finishing their balls of yarn. Gold (A1 Steak Sauce) and silver (Snack Attack) came without surprises, but there was a three-way tie for bronze. The fight for third was decided by the audience through the costume contest. Even though the group that wore regular clothes and the group dressed in all black were awarded a lot of applause, the Majestic Jojans, dressed in cow-print vests and skirts, won substantially, naming themselves the bronze victors. The lunch bell rang, and we dispersed, hopeful to see this new tradition develop for the remainder of our time at College Prep and onwards!