My Top Five Peddie Memories (So Far)
1. Winning Back the Potter-Kelley Cup
Blair Academy is our biggest rival, and Peddie-Blair Day is the craziest, most fun day of the year no matter what- but it’s even better when we win the Potter-Kelley Cup. In my sophomore year, we lost Peddie-Blair Day, and we went into junior year determined to take back the Cup. As the final games of the day were finishing up and we started to realize that the Cup was finally coming home, everyone geared up for Head of School Peter Quinn to announce that we won and to do the loudest Ala Viva to show how much it meant to all of us to win the Potter-Kelley Cup.
2. Participating in (and Winning) the First Ever Blue & Gold Games
The Blue & Gold Games are a new Peddie tradition. They were created my sophomore year and have now become an annual tradition that happens the Saturday before the first day of school. The entire school is split up into two different teams- Blue and Gold- and competes in a variety of different games. My favorites are floor hockey, cooking challenges, softball and fishing. It was a great way for all of us, new and returning students, and even teachers, to meet each other and come together as a school. The first year, my team- Team Gold!- won and it was an experience that I could not have had at any other school. After a day of competition, we are able to enjoy a carnival that is set up with different games and activities for everyone!
3. Just Dance Marathon with my Freshman Year Prefects
Freshman year for the Class of 2024 was not always the most exciting. COVID restrictions meant that boarders like me spent a lot of time in our own dorms. The Prefects at Masters Dormitory came to our rescue and made our time in the dorms exciting and fun. We would play Just Dance for hours, all afternoon and all night long. This was one of the best memories and best dorm weekends I had on campus so far.
4. Softball Preseason
My sophomore year, the softball team brought back the tradition of going to Florida for preseason. We had the best time, on and off the field. We did tons of team bonding like mini golf, Rita’s Italian Ice trips and hanging out with the other high school softball and baseball teams. The most interesting part was probably the fact that we got to play and meet teams that came all the way from Canada. Not only was it a good way for us to start out one of our best seasons, but a time for us to bond and really get to know each other.
5. Completing My Iron Falcon
The Iron Falcon is an athletic challenge at Peddie where you complete a certain amount of different exercises (deadlift, Russian deadlifts, bench press, etc.) in the weight room at a specific weight based on your body weight. As a competitive person and an athlete, I knew from day one at Peddie that I wanted to get this ASAP. I worked all sophomore year until the very last day. It was the last week of exams and I just needed one last lift to get my Iron Falcon, a hang clean at 85 lbs. for seven reps. I struggled all week to get it, always just a few pounds or reps away, but then on the last possible day I got it. This was hands down one of the best moments at Peddie because I was able to celebrate it with my friends and coaches who supported me throughout the year and end the year on a high note.