From September 8th to September 12th, Irvington’s ASG hosted the first ever Club Olympics in the courtyard during lunch. Featuring energetic competitions such as tug of war, balloon stomp, chubby bunny, egg balance race and a relay race, this event gave students a chance to represent their clubs and to allow students to learn more about them.
The week opened with tug of war where Quiz Bowl pulled their way into victory. The following event which was balloon stomp drew in plenty of laughs as students tried to pop their balloons. Later in the week, Interact triumphed in Chubby Bunny, Visual Arts Club balanced their way to win in the egg race and FYA sped past the competition to finish first in the relay race.
When asked about the inspiration behind Club Olympics, ASG Member Tanay Raote (12) mentioned, “Mr Willer approached us with the idea and we went along with it since it seemed like a good way to get some competition going between the clubs.” He added that the planning “didn’t take too long – maybe a week or two just to figure out the games, the stuff we needed for it, the budget we had and the day it would be on.” Reflecting on the event, Tanay said that he was happy with the outcome but saw room for improvement: “Since it’s pretty new, there’s always room to improve. I think location, like trying to get an area where it would be more hyped with a bigger audience, and more club participation would make it even better.”
Participants also reflected on their experiences. Monica Pospieszny (12) who participated in the egg balance race, shared that her favorite part was “winning the first three rounds and then losing the last one,” where her club came in second to Visual Arts Club. She also emphasized how her club chose to participate for fun and promotion rather than being obligated to. Samantha Del Rosario (12), who represented FYA in the relay race described how she and another member competed despite most of their team dropping out, stating that “the fact that me and Kate, the only two people that showed up, still persevered and had fun doing it was the best part.” She also hopes that the event continues in the future as it creates a fun bonding experience for clubs.
Overall the first Club Olympics brought students together in a spirit of fun and friendly competition, laying down the foundation for an event that can grow bigger in the years to come.
