Field day at CHS is not only an athletic event during the school year, but it is also the last day of school for the seniors. The day includes many opportunities for forums and full-school bonding. It’s also a great opportunity for competition for a school that doesn’t offer sports. Students, in their forums, took the buses to gather at Delhi Metropark with the rest of the school on May 24, 2024. Each forum competes to win the notorious tug-of-war, a relay race, a mile run and capture the flag.
For Ali O’Brien, this field day has felt different because she knows it will be her last.
“This field day has had a surreal feeling just because it’s my last one,” O’Brien said. “I always feel like all the other ones don’t matter to me too much because I’ll always be back next year, but this time I won’t be, which is definitely sad, but I’m happy that I got to experience it.”
First, students warmed up with their forums for the sports and helped set up their forum campout spot.
Tug-of-war was the first event and lasted about an hour and a half. Loud shouts, joy, frustration and a whirlwind of emotions went down during the tug-of-war game, considering many lost and many advanced. Twenty-three forums each competed, but the Dianne Dudley forum and Kevin Starkey forum were the two that made it to the final round. After being tugged aggressively by the Starkey forum and not going down without a fight, the Dudley forum collapsed, still holding on, as did the Starkey forum.
“Getting to finals and tug-of-war was really inspiring for me because my forum has never, you know, historically done that well,” said Jasper Forgey, a member of the Dudley Forum. ”I felt very unified with my forum, and I think it was great for our bonding, togetherness, and sense of unity as a whole.”
Next, the forums rested and ate before beginning the relay race, where each forum chose six people to race and pass a baton. Four forums went against each other, and then the winners of those matchups went against each other. The Silvester forum was the fastest forum, taking home a triumphant win.
“The Silvester forum has never won a round of tug of war, and I made it a mission to win a round of it before I graduated,” said Vara James, a member of the Silvester forum. “We accomplished that together as a team, even as the underdogs. I’m so proud of my forum for this accomplishment.”
After the two biggest events, everyone began to relax. Runners and faculty ran a mile with Dianne Dudley coaching and timing everyone. Technically, Kamari Ronfeldt won the race, but it was very low-stakes and served as a fun way for some of the students to run together.
Capture the flag and volleyball continued after the mile run. Some students threw the football while others chatted with their fellow forumettes who were leaving for college. Each forum took it upon themselves and bought a large lunch, varying from pizza to hotdogs to Jimmy Johns.
By 12:30, it was time for each forum to pack up and head back to the buses to ride back to school.
“Field day was an exciting experience,” said Rose Hood, a freshman and member of the Dudley forum. “I have done field days in the past, and it wasn’t like any of them. It was also seeing how creative all the forums were with their shirts.”
Field day is full of competition and whole-school bonding, but it also marks the last day of school for the seniors.
“I think field day is definitely the sweetest day of the year for me,” O’Brien said. “It’s so nice to see our whole school bond as one massive family.”
