JUNQUE GAMES

Jan Gonzalos

Junque Games 2023 brought new vigor to campus to kick off the new year! All classes participated in a class-on-class competition to see who could bring the right “junk” for whatever Mr. Watkins called out.

The event brought record numbers out January 7, as pizza was served in the gymnasium for both community and dorm students alike. The event officially kicked off at 6:30 p.m.

Raphan Ley Gymnasium looked like it was cut into four pieces of pie with each class separated on each of the four corners of the gym floor. Classes demonstrated their enthusiasm and class spirit by wearing class colors. Freshmen wore green, and sophomores donned blue attire.

Juniors dressed in red, and seniors sported black. Many students even painted spots and streaks on their faces with their class colors.

The night began with Principal Watkins, the principal of Highland Academy, giving instructions about how the competition would work. As items or “junk” werecalled for, a representative from each class would grab the item and race to the center of the gym where a crash mat was positioned.

Judges Eric Johnson, Bryce Reading, Roger Schmidt, and Tim Kuntz (parent of a student and local family practice PA), stood guard to determine who smacked their item on the mat first. Students were cautioned not to crash into the mat but instead come to a complete halt with their item. If someone ran past the mat they would not get any points for that specific run. This was a tricky rule for Azar Airapetov as he enthusiastically crashed into the mat unable to stop himself with the momentum he built up getting there first. It cost his class, the freshmen, any points they could have made on that “junk.”

Tony Verderaime, a junior, also faced this challenge and rather than crashing into the mat, ran past which still disqualified him and the points his class could have received.

Some students struggled to attain the correct item from their class piles of junk missing potential points for their teams. Points accumulated as they were gained by being the first to the mat, for having the correct item, and also for having the specifics of said item such as a black hoodie or a Highland Academy T-shirt.

All teams began strong as Principal Watkins called out items such as the Flix Book, a picture book of all students and staff taken at the beginning of the school year, a class syllabus, a textbook, and other such school items. As the competition heated up, classes demonstrated understanding of Principal Watkins as he called such items as a golf glove. The Junior class took that one. When he called a black suit jacket, students looked around their piles in confusion. Attempting to gain at least a point, their representatives raced to the mat with black hoodies and black outdoor jackets, but only the sophomore class, anticipated this unique item for Junque games, receiving the only points for any class on that one.

Seniors claimed the title as winners of the 2023 Junque Games for the second year in a row. But at this event, no one was a loser. As music played between challenges, students sang. Laughter and cheering for each class echoed throughout the gym. Smiles were the décor of the event. This was truly an event of fun and fellowship.