While the class of 2020’s orientation did consist of the basics, many new and exciting activities, intertwined with a hint of friendly competition, were added to this year’s repertoire.

As of last year, the “team” system was instituted among freshman, dividing the class into five teams: the Wisconsin Badgers, the University of Connecticut Huskies, the University of Michigan Wolverines, the Youngstown State Penguins and the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Once the nervcited (nervous and excited) freshman received their assignments and timidly joined their respective teams in Boyle Stadium, they were briefly spoken to by Principal Manka and introduced to their team’s teachers. Shortly after, they were herded into the auditorium for Mr. Escobar’s obligatory code of conduct and school rules presentation.

From there, the class of 2020 was divided up among Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, National Honors Society, and Leadership Academy upperclassmen volunteers for a campus tour and a trip to the auxiliary gym for the club and activities fair, all typical orientation shenanigans.

After attempting to explain (in the most logical way possible)  the layout of the nine floors and why by walking up a flight of stairs you can go from the sixth floor to the first floor, the tours came to an end and the freshman reunited with their teams in Boyle Stadium for trivia and a relay race.

To promote teamwork and unity among the five teams, a few members were selected to answer riddles and SHS trivia. Manka asked questions ranging from “How do you spell Mr. Laskowski?” to “Does England have a fourth of July?” While this caused a lot of excitement from the crowd, the winner was still yet to be determined by a sports relay.

Four students from each team were selected to form a squad of athletes. The first athlete had to dress in a soccer uniform, dribble between three cones, and then tag off the next person, who had to dress in a basketball uniform and shoot a ball into a trash can. Once that was completed, the basketball player tagged off a football player, who similarly had to get into uniform and throw the ball back and forth to the last athlete, who upon catching the ball the second time had to run circles around a lacrosse stick five times and then make a shot into the net.

After a great deal of cheering, trivia, and athletics, points were added up, and there was a three way tie. The only way to determine the single winner was with a tie breaking trivia question: “What are the five A’s of SHS?”

In the end, the Uconn Huskies took the win, bringing an unforgettable morning to a close. Incorporating education, athletics, and fun, we can only hope that this style of orientation is repeated for future Black Knights!