A Striking Time

Sarah Tan

With a bowling ball in hand and barely balancing on his left foot, Noel Teng hopped up to the foul line and eyed the pins so closely that he forgot to focus on not face-planting the ground.

It was both a tragic and hilarious ending.

Last Saturday, the seniors escaped from the grueling monotony of school and, for those who took the SAT that morning, cured their post-traumatic stress by going out for a night of bowling—if you can even call it that.  To spice up the competition, the Senior Class ExCom created unusual tasks for each bowler to attempt. These challenges included bowling with your eyes closed, throwing the ball “granny-style,” using your left hand, and, demonstrated by Noel Teng, bowling on one leg. But, thankfully for Teng, he was not the only one whose body unexpectedly met the ground. 

Bowling balls, human limbs, and french-fries flew everywhere; and even the class-sponsors Mrs. Steinkamp and Mrs. Roberts, along with her toddler, Marshall, joined in on the fun. Cameras snapped away and voices roared in laughter at the faces, stunts, and wild maneuvering of bodies that were extremely awkward and seemingly impossible.

The Senior Class ExCom has been trying to emphasize bonding and unity within the class during their final year. With such a large class and many different personalities, many people still do not know some of their peers well, or even at all. So the ExCom members have organized many events for the class to get to know others outside of their close circles of friends and to have fun making lasting memories. Concerning the bowling event, Senior Class Vice President Karissa Steinkamp said, “The senior class event was a blast! It was really fun going bowling, hanging out with friends and classmates, and watching each other do the strange, hilarious different tasks.”

From the perspective of the other class members, Mary-Claire McIntyre, who accomplished the feat of the night by hurling the ball with so much force that it bounced from her lane into the lane next to hers, and then into the gutter on the farthest side of that lane, said, “A little competition and a lot of fun brings out a different side in people. The class event helped us to get to know people we normally don’t spend time with better. It was a great experience for everyone.”

The ExCom members were definitely relieved that their peers enjoyed this event, and they are planning many more fun and creative activities for the class throughout the year. It was special that these hard-working students were able to take a breather from the overwhelming stress of the year—and to enjoy each other in this pausing.

It did not take much to make this class happy; all they needed was a few balls and many lasting friendships.