“Deodorant!”
The word echoes across the gym as students scramble to find a stick of deodorant in the pile of items their class brought from their dorm rooms. Once found, a runner speeds to the center of the gym and tries to place the stick of deodorant in the hula hoop circle before runners from the other three classes have done the same.
“A single stick of un-chewed gum!”
“A pair of WA uniform pants!”
“An alarm clock!”
“A living thing that is not human!”
Item after item is called. There are several strategies that help a team win. First, they need to know what they have and be able to find it quickly. This requires a healthy dose of organization and a good memory. Second, they need to be able to quickly transfer the item to the designated runner. This requires coordination and focus. Third, the runner must be able to run quickly and then stop, placing the item in the circle carefully so it does not bounce out. If the item bounces out of the circle or if the runner goes past the circle, the attempt is disqualified.
“A musical instrument!”
“A science textbook!”
“An umbrella!”
As ten o’clock nears, the challenge shifts. Teams from each class race to bring their fellow classmates too the hula hoop circles in blanket “chariots”.
“Someone who was born in September!”
“Someone born on a day of the month that is a prime number!”
When all is said and done, the freshmen class of 2023 celebrate a rare victory. Congratulations! Teamwork and organization pay off. And thank you also to the Student Association officers and sponsors for planning another fun event.
