October means Notre Dame staff and students are participating in many events such as TGB, Powder Puff, the Fall Fest dance and Student Government elections.
To kick off this packed month, the freshman class president was elected. Ben Foster, the new freshman class president, is making an effort this year to make lunch lines more efficient and pushing for boys to wear shorts in the winter.
TGB: The Great Battle is an extended period of fun in the auditorium where many competitions and events are held. The theme is kept secret until the day of TGB and revealed in a short movie created by Student Government members with filming and editing by Ms. Eliza Campbell.
The competitions this year are a tik-tok dance challenge, finish-the-lyric challenge and the talent show. According to Mrs. Holly Hinch, Student Government adviser, NDA students are still needed for competitions.
The Fall Fest dance is Saturday, October 7, from 8-1030. Tickets have been on sale this week but are also available at the door of the dance. IDs are needed to get in.
The Triton Center will be open during the dance, but all dress shoes are prohibited on the gym floor, so staff advises you to bring tennis shoes for this reason. Guest pass tickets can not be purchased at the door of the dance and guests need their ID as well.
Powder Puff this year will be played Monday, October 16. Powder Puff is a game of women’s flag football. Each grade has a team coached by NDA football players in their same grade. This is an annual friendly competition that girls look forward to each year.
Mrs. Dory made a point during her speech to the freshman class that even though most schools do a week of fun prior to their homecoming dance, that is not how we do it at NDA. That is why TGB and Powder Puff and a full week of activities occurs after the Fall Fest dance.
According to Dory, just one week is “not enough.” And, she emphasized, we also have another week of fun: Spring Week.
Veteran NDA teacher Carolyn Brown explained the origin of Fall Fest.
“When Sister Pat, our principal, hired me and told me I was an adviser for Student Government, she said we were replacing Homecoming Week with Fall Fest Week. She was tired of all the homecoming pranks like tee-peeing houses and wanted Student Government to organize a week of fun.
“That’s when we came up with Powder Puff, Mr. NDA and an all-school assembly of fun,” said Brown.
“Then Frau became lead adviser of Student Government,” continued Brown, “and made the week bigger and better. Other schools have copied our lead, and I don’t think anyone wants to go back to the old idea of just a homecoming dance.”
