The end of the school year is marked by Field Day– a day that promises fun festivities and fond high school memories. Field Day 2024 was considered to be a success by students with activities such as relay races and the egg toss. Students enjoyed four different rotating stations in various places on campus. However, behind the scenes, student government worked tirelessly to bring this day to life. The planning process for Field Day begins up to two months in advance with responsibilities lying almost entirely in the hands of the student government. 

“It’s mostly student-led,” said student government faculty advisor Christine Chen. “Us faculty are really just there to help with some logistical support.”

With the bulk of the planning in the hands of students, Senior co-chairs Phillips Moore and Ava Ramsey played an instrumental role in making sure plans were set and things went smoothly. 

“Ava and I have a meeting first and then we meet with the rest of student government,” said Moore. “We ask what activities they want to do and collect feedback to work with along with feedback from past years. Everyone is involved.”

This approach ensures that the event truly reflects the desires and interests of the student body. It’s not just a day planned for students; it’s a day planned by students.

Once the activities are finalized, the logistics come into play. Every detail must be considered from securing equipment and coordinating with vendors to organizing student government and ensuring equipment is placed correctly. It’s a meticulous process that requires not only attention to detail but also effective communication.

The large amount of necessary considerations is often underestimated, giving the student government no shortage of tasks to complete. 

“We find all of the materials and reserve materials for each station,” said Moore. “We have to allow time for people to approve and sign off on some things. We also had to email IT for mics and music.” 

Other considerations include playing out the points system, making the documents, looking at the teams, splitting up the advisements, and ensuring student government representatives can get out of class earlier to help set up. 

“The main parts are making sure we can reserve and can use certain spaces,” said Ramsey. “The advisors can help with booking fields and places on campus but supplies are mostly on us.”

With planning a large-scale event, there is naturally room for some error. Some spaces could not be used this year. For example, Robinson was not allowed to be used as an indoor space. Due to these limitations, Field Day is forever changing.

Due to Covid-19, 2024 was only the second time the Upper School had a Field Day since the pandemic.

“In a meeting, we were coming up with ideas for the next school year and I brought it up,” said Moore. “A bunch of people agreed so we finally decided to bring it back. We planned it all last year and brought it back this year.”

With students’ spirits running low late in the spring semester, Field Day is the perfect opportunity to bring the community together through simple, yet fun activities.

Another challenge student government faces is balancing tradition with new ideas. While some activities are staples of Field Day, like the classic track relays, there’s always room for new improvements. This balance ensures that Field Day remains fresh and exciting for students year after year. Field Day 2024, for example, came with teams separated under a theme instead of simply colors.

Advisor Christine Chen admits her excitement to see what changes come with overseeing next year’s co-chairs. 

“Next year they will probably put their own spin on things and events just because they had different ideas, not all of which we could get to this year,” said Chen.

As a junior on student government, Anjini Naidu expresses her idea for Field Day to be a day-long event.

 “Hopefully next year, field day can be a whole day,” said Naidu. “We definitely want to promote more school spirit. Another idea is possibly making the lunchtime before field day a chance for people to meet their teams to really connect before separating to different events.”

Despite the challenges, the dedication of student government shines through on Field Day as a day planned for the sake of the students. It’s a testament to their commitment to creating memorable experiences for their peers and fostering a sense of community within the school.

As Field Day and spring semester draws to a close, it’s important to remember the work and effort put in to ensure that Field Day is a day to remember.

Edited by Sophia Cunningham