Story by Gabriel Valez
If someone were to ask me what my definition of Spirit Week was, I would say “unity.”
For this year’s Spirit Week at New Jersey Conference's Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA), students and staff united to participate in spiritual, physical and brain games. The school was divided into two teams—team gold and team blue. Teachers selected students randomly to play games and earn points for their teams.
Led by the high schoolers, the older students made sure the younger lower grade students had a good time. Kindergartener Jael Valesquez says, “I love spirit week. I love the games.”
The week began with brain games like building words using your body or playing games like Family Feud. As each team went head-to-head, the students who were not participating at the time were hyping and cheering their team on to get the most points available for that selected game. The rivalry is not only about the games themselves, but which team can be the loudest and make their squad look the strongest.
Next were the physical games, like soccer, flag football, basketball and the most anticipated game—volleyball. Students were sweating and hustling to gain points for their team. The crowd was attentive and supportive to see which team would win these sports and activities.
Sophomore David Velez states, “The physical games and sports are really what keeps me on my feet watching as the different teams play, waiting to see who wins. I try to keep my team [energized].”
The students also had fun playing games with a spiritual emphasis. The younger students played a Bible verse search game called sword drill, and the older students played Bible trivia—both groups demonstrating their biblical knowledge.
Each day the students left with a positive and happy mindset so they could be ready for the next day. The goal was to make sure everyone had a good time. And as the week went on, the students appeared to be more and more ready to play. The students who were shy on the first day of Spirit Week were now screaming and eager to participate in every competition available.
Velez adds, “I made sure everyone [on my team] kept their heads up and did their best, and, whether they won or lost, that they had a smile on their face.”
Junior Samantha Flores, the Student Association social events coordinator, says, “I believe that Spirit Week was an experience where the school could come together to express our love for Lake Nelson.”
“Unity” is truly my definition of Spirit Week. When LNAA comes together like this, I think of it as more than just a school, but a family. All in all, this year I had an amazing experience during Spirit Week, and, as a new student on campus, I felt so loved and welcomed. I’m sure others felt the same. Together, the students and staff had a big part in making Spirit Week unite us.