By Senior Journalism students AJ B., Ramsey R., and Darrick J.

Wednesday, February 12th, was the second day of the weekly Spirit Days Competition for 2020. Known as “Twin Day,” students, faculty, and staff dressed up in identical outfits. There were actually twins, triplets, and even quadruplets. The school day closed with a class curling competition in the gym. Using a floor curling set (no ice needed), each class put forth a team of four competitors. For those who might not be familiar with curling, the goal is to slide the “rock” into the “house” as close to the “button” as possible. In everyday English, push the disk towards the target and aim for the center.

The preliminary round saw the seniors taking on the 8th/9th grade team and the juniors playing against the sophomores. A close contest saw the seniors advance to the winner’s bracket with a score of 3-2. The juniors also advanced to the winner’s bracket with a score of 3-1. In the consolation round for third place, the 8th/9th graders dominated with a score of 3-1.

The final match-up of the day saw the seniors and juniors battling it out for first place. This was an intense match with the teams tied. A shootout was needed to determine a winner. The seniors brought their best sliding skills, winning the shootout 3-0. With two more events and dress-up days to come, the current overall Spirit Days competition standings are: in first place – the juniors, followed by the seniors, 8th/9th graders, and sophomores.

Curling photos by Ms. Haas

By Senior Journalism students AJ B., Ramsey R. and Darrick J.; photos by M. Haas

During February, Oak Hill Academy participates in weekly spirit events. On Wednesday, February 5th, the students, faculty, and staff dressed in pajamas and participated in Minute-to-Win-It games.

The first game involved eating a doughnut hung on a string from the gym’s backboard. The real trick was that you were not allowed to use your hands. Winning meant you ate the entire doughnut. The senior class was the first to complete this challenge, followed by the 8th & 9th-graders.

The next game, the “Egg Roll,” involved a pencil and an egg. Each player had to hold a pencil in his/her mouth, pushing the egg across the gym with the eraser end of the pencil . The seniors were once again unstoppable, crossing the finish line well before any other competitor. The sophomores came in second. “The gym was so loud, cheering for everyone to finish. It was a lot of fun,” stated 9th-grader Elijah Mosby.

Next up was the “Oreo Stack Relay.” Each team had one boy and one girl who relayed across the gym to collect an Oreo without using their hands. This cookie was then transferred to a “stacker,” who needed to make four stacks of five cookies each. The sophomores won this event, followed by the seniors.

Following the cookie relay was the “Water Bottle Challenge.” Each water bottle had about an inch of water. The challenge was to flip the bottle and have it land upright. To win, you had to accomplish that feat with four bottles. Each team had a male and female competitor. For the girls, the juniors won the event, followed by the sophomores. The guys’ competition saw the 8th & 9th-graders pull out the win in front of the sophomores.

Another game for the day was the “Penny Stack.” This challenge was to stack up as many pennies as possible using one hand. Once again, the 8th & 9th-graders won the event, with the sophomores coming in second.

The final event of the day was the “Basketball Shot Challenge.” Each competitor needed to make a layup, a free throw, a three-pointer, and a half-court shot. With talented ball players in every class, this was a close competition. The juniors ended up winning, with the 8th and 9th-graders coming in second. Senior Tobi Salami stated, “It was a great way for the senior class to bond and experience some friendly competition.”

Overall scores for this portion of the Spirit Days competition saw the sophomores winning it all with 19 points. The 8th & 9th-graders had 18 points. The seniors had 16 points, and the juniors had 15. Points from the Minute-to-Win-It event are added to all of the Spirit points already earned in various competitions this year. In total, the Spirit points standings have the juniors in first place followed by the seniors, the 8th & 9th-graders, and the sophomores.

More events are planned for February Spirit Days, including Twin Dress Day and a curling competition; Wacky Dress Day and the Trivia Bowl; and Spirit Dress Day and a contest featuring “Feats of Strength.”