Waves Crashing Down

By Sandy Choi

Yellow, red, green, and blue: those are the only colors visible in school today. Not the red Senior uniforms that you would usually see, nor the yellow-striped high school uniform. Painting their faces with their house colors, everyone’s eager to represent their house.

Students are gathered around the outdoor basketball court, and heat and excitement are overflowing. It takes a while to settle down and contain the thrill. Bolt, Blaze, Quake, and Blue all take turns to show that they are the best with a chant that unites their house. The chants for all four houses are loud and full of passion, and the Eagle Games that everyone waited for finally start.

However, not everything goes as planned. Rain starts pouring, just like the last two Eagle games. Yet, nothing can stop the spark that already started. Students continue playing in the hard rain, not minding how wet they get; they’re only eager to win and get more points for their house. The awkwardness between teammates at the beginning of the Eagle game is long gone, and all the teams are united into one with a goal in mind: victory for their house.

The day went by quickly, and it was already the end of the day. Students were exhausted but still had a smile on their faces as each one of them gained something special, whether that be new friendships, good experiences, sportsmanship, etc.

“I learned how to cooperate with others in other grades, and I’m grateful for new friendships that I got through this event,” said Enoch Yoon (10).

As the results are in, everyone is nervous, and tension is building in the same basketball court where excitement was overflowing in the morning. Before Mr. Van even asks, there’s a drumroll going on, and he finally announces the fourth place: Blaze. Despite being last, everyone in Blaze cheers and claps with each other.

“Through Eagle Games, I was able to work together with others towards one goal, and I felt proud as we bonded. Though we didn’t win, through the process, our team grew together as a group,” said Jaden Lee (10), who belongs to Blaze.

Next is Bolt, who was only a few points away from Blaze. Quake wins second, and lastly, Wave wins first. Seniors from Wave are asked to go up and hold the trophy for the Eagle games, and everyone claps no matter what house they’re in. As the Wave leaders raise up their trophy high up in the air, all members of wave jump up and cheer loudly.

Whether you win or not, Eagle Games is a wonderful experience that brings the whole high school together. It is way more valuable than just winning a game; it’s about the experience and what you gain through those them. Each year’s Eagle Games gets more fun, and it’s exciting to see how we all grow through this event.