On Friday, September 5, upperclassmen PGC leaders met with the Madison freshmen for team building activities and class bonding in the unseasonably hot weather. The events took place on the football field, where the 9th graders were separated into groups of eight to twelve led by one or two PGC leaders. There were a variety of activities set up on the perimeter of the football field. The freshmen participated in events such as dodge ball, speedball, duck duck goose and “sheet volleyball.” Each group stayed at an activity for ten minutes, then rotated to the next one.
The heat did not go unnoticed. About two hours into the three-hour program underclassmen and upperclassmen alike were begging for water. Ms. Gentile and Miss Morganthaler had not anticipated the overwhelming need for water, and were forced to think quickly to provide the students with the much needed break. They allowed students to go to water fountains located at the varsity baseball field and the junior varsity baseball field. Mobs of students could be seen rushing to the fountains, eager for water.
The groups never seemed to fully recover from this break in the games. Some students didn’t make it back to their leaders, and chose to lounge in the shade instead. It was obvious that the freshmen had grown tired of the different activities. While some continued to participate, many took an observer role and instead sat on the turf with friends. Freshmen field day had a promising beginning, but a very rocky end.