From Oct. 14 through Oct. 18, Oxford Academy buzzed with competition as grade levels competed in the Olympics themed “Patriot Games Spirit Week”. Using the 5-Star program, students registered participation points at the quad by dressing up for each day’s respective theme.
Monday kicked off the festivities with “Brainy vs. Brawns,” which showcased outfits that donned nerdy glasses and varsity jackets, embracing the age-old rivalry between intellect and athleticism. Tuesday’s theme was “White Out Whitney” or “WOW” for short so students wore all white in support of the Oxford girls volleyball team in their game against long-time rival Whitney High School.
Wednesday’s Unity Day encouraged students to wear orange attire to promote trust and respect among peers, highlighting the importance of harmony in our school community.
“I liked how the idea of Spirit Week is to raise school spirit. Seeing everyone being unified and dressing up according to each day’s theme was nice to see since it represented the pride that we students have in Oxford.” Sophomore Emily Moon said.
Thursday brought Jersey Day, where everyone was invited to wear their favorite sports jerseys. Friday ended the week with “Rhyme Without a Reason,” a fun challenge for friends to dress up as mismatched rhymes like “DJ and PJ,” or “Fairy and Cherry”.
Aside from participating in themes, there were also events during lunch that students could participate in for points and to encourage class rivalry. The 8th graders were seen gaining 15 points after winning a musical chairs activity, seniors gained 30 points for winning in the trivia game and 40 from the fashion show, juniors gained 10 points from the fashion show, sophomores gained 125 points from the fashion show, and freshman gained 15 points from the fashion show as well.
On Oct. 21, it was announced that the sophomore class had won the participation competition with a cumulative score of 536 points. They were rewarded with early dismissal to lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Seniors came in second with 390 points, freshman third with 226 points, juniors fourth with 142 points, 8th graders fifth with 98 points, and 7th graders in sixth place with 77 points.
“Seeing my grade finally excited to do something all together really reminded me of how grateful I am for our class. I truly think that our passion and spirit is unmatched and I absolutely love that about us. Just seeing them smile, have fun with their friends, and enjoy school with pride for their class is really special to me, and I hope that I am able to cultivate more moments like this for them with our SCC.” Sophomore Class Committee president Dominique Pagaduan said.
Other classes are now even more determined to raise the spirit of not only Oxford Academy, but themselves.
“I feel very proud that our class is putting in efforts to support the school spirit. I really appreciate their efforts and I’m grateful that such spirited people are in my grade.” Freshman Class Committee president Chloe Chung said.
“I’m always glad when I see seniors dress up and show off their school spirit, and I think that a friendly class competition was a really good incentive for more seniors to participate and dress up.” Senior Class Committee president Maanya Arora said.
“I was super proud and happy to see everyone coming out and supporting our school spirit. Because we’re so used to seeing each other in our uniform, having a week like this is something we all look forward to.” Junior Class Committee president Nicole Lee said.
Following the cutthroat week, it is clear the Patriot Games are more than just a competition; it’s a celebration of unity, creativity, and school pride at Oxford Academy.
