St. Joe Day is the perfect kick-off to the school year and the best ending of Welcome Week. The seniors began their celebration Thursday night beginning with Senior Sleepover and ending the night with Senior Sunrise. Wrapped in their capes, they take in the last of the Welcome Week memories they make here at the Academy.
The day began with an energy-filled pep rally led by Spirit Club, celebrating the fall sports. This included tennis, golf, field hockey, cross country, volleyball, and the cast of Matilda. The energy-filled room screeched as everyone watched the dance team fly into the room and give a performance of a lifetime.
The volleyball teams were picked by grade and everyone was counting down the minutes to watch their classmates demolish the other classes. The energy was high as the freshmen and sophomore teams entered the room. The game was tight until the sophomore team broke through the tie and won the game. Following was the sophomore versus junior game, where the sophomore team blew the juniors out of the water. The sophomores were on a roll to winning the whole tournament until they met the senior team. Their game was intense: students watching upper and lower-classmen battling each other for bragging rights in the hallways. Although the sophomores fought their hearts out, the seniors raised their hands in victory.
Once the class-versus-class volleyball games were over, it was on faculty versus seniors. The team was ready with their very own freshman volleyball coach, Mrs. Colleen Smith-Yelton, and a beloved teacher in the theology department, Mr. Andy Lodes.
The seniors finished with another win on their backs. As everyone thought the volleyball game was done, firemen ran into the gym and the room was ecstatic. The school was torn on whether to support the upperclassmen or the firemen. They played against the seniors and lost to the three-time winning team. The seniors were established as the number one volleyball players of St. Joe Day and the whole class rushed the court screaming and cheering.
As the day continued, teams were formed into groups by color. Each LACE Advisory was assigned a color the week prior and was told to dress in support of that specific color. Once the teams were organized, the games began and the battle started for the winner of St. Joe Day. Games continued through the day with the hula hoop competition to the three-legged race. The tug-of-war game came to an abrupt stop when the rope snapped in half leading to all participants sprawling across the floor. Everyone was in shock including the Spirit Club administrator Ms. Hailey Meersmen.
“I just thought everything was ruined and Spirit Club’s budget was depleted but it turned out to be the best thing that has happened because it shows how strong we are,” Meersmen said.
A tiebreaker was at stake for the final winners of St. Joe Day. The Pink and Blue team were neck and neck, tied at two points each. The tiebreaker was the wheelbarrow race once again.
The race was close with Blue leading in the first stretch but they unfortunately took a tumble resulting in the Pink Team winning it all.
Junior Liv Sigala expressed her excitement about the game and how much fun she had. “I knew we had a great team but I was still a little surprised and so excited when we won. It was so fun running off the bleachers to all cheer together,” said Sigala.
Although the games were over, the day was nowhere near. The day was handed off from the Student Council to the Diversity Culture and Climate Team, and Joechella began. The Commons was filled to the brim with girls trying to get to the hair tinsel and balloon animals. With a band in the Theater and a St. Joe event regular, DJ Reggie, in the DePaul room, music was spilling out of the doors. Students enjoyed the hotdogs from the Father’s Club and popcorn from Mr. Stein.
The day will go down in history in many students’ memories as one of the best St. Joe Days out there!
