By Anna McGurkin
10.Wellness Fair
The highly anticipated Wellness Fair falls on the Friday of Wellness Week, a time in which Student Wellness Organization prioritizes the student body’s mental health. So get ready to walk around the gym during community time, eat lemons and peppermints, have slime permanently on your hands, and learn about the dangers of underage drinking with the notorious drunk goggles. Overall, the Wellness Fair is a fantastic time, alleviating the school stress and allowing the student body to gather in a calm and peaceful environment.
9. Ring Ceremony
It's no secret that when Ring rolls around, the impact is felt school-wide. Not only does my Instagram feed flood with pictures of the iconic “ring pose,” but the excitement of the sophomore class is palpable. With the perfect excuse to get your nails done, the freedom of yelling in the typically quiet library, and a shiny new piece of bling, the sophomore class can demonstrate their commitment to RPCS.
8. Triple the Spirit
As a member of the infamous “tri-school community,” Roland Park Country School puts our spirit and athletic competition to the test during the Triple the Spirit Event. When each respective school has a game on the same day back to back, and the students’ sections are rowdy with pep, it’s a day destined for greatness. Coined the tri-schools’ Superbowl, Triple the Spirit is a day you will not forget anytime soon, especially with the lasting impact it makes on your eardrums and voice.
7. Spirit Week
In a definitely super unbiased opinion as Spirit President, Spirit Week is the pinnacle of the fall fun at RPCS. In the week leading up to Fall Ball, anything is possible. Have you ever wanted to watch the senior class dress as Adam Sandler and pull out the weirdest thing imaginable in the deepest darkest parts of your closet? Congratulations, Spirit Week is the time for you. No matter what creative themes our elected reps come up with, Spirit Week interrupts the mundane cycle of uniforms by adding some much-needed pep into the school week.
6. Townhall
A sacred day in the springtime organized by SGA, Townhall is an unforgettable time. When every grade gathers in the Sinex and the teachers are exiled (except for Ms. Carter-Bey, begrudgingly present), it is like the stars align to form the beauty that is Townhall. It's a dance competition with extremely well-choreographed numbers and moves that could outshine hit shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dance Moms. Despite the disappointment in Ms. Carter-Bey’s eyes as she witnesses our typically upstanding student body pop and lock like their lives depend on it and the howls from the audience, Townhall is certainly something that you have never seen before.
5. Senior Day
With the Senior class decked out in their personalized T-shirt and the rest of the school ready to make it one for the books, Senior Day is nothing short of hilarious. Before the infamous assembly starts, posters are hung in the halls, and a few very spirited seniors are running around getting everyone in on the festivities. Yet, the gem of the day is the assembly. When a video from the senior class advisors is played and the Junior Class serenades the seniors with a remake of a popular song, your stomach will likely hurt from laughing. Then there is the senior video that brings the senior class to ugly tears and cackling laughs. Every year the senior class is more excited, the advisors are cringey, and the damage to your eardrums from the tone-deaf juniors is increased. Yet every year, this is a day to look forward to and honor the class above you.
4. Field Day
Field day is a time of athletic excellence, competitive spirit, and most importantly, the ability to showcase your advisory's natural gifts by competing in games such as human soccer, extreme trivia, and the tried and true distinguisher of greatness: tug of war. Every year (pre-COVID), the athletic association plans a day in the spring to unleash our school’s insanely competitive spirit. Rather than our typical competitive nature against Brynn Mawr, field day is a good-natured fight that allows the spirit and intensity of our school to show. While you may be left with bruises on your body and a hoarse voice from cheering, Field Day strips down the preppy RPCS persona until only red hot spirit remains.
3. Dances
Get ready for the best nights of your life. Throughout the year, RPCS hosts three dances: Fall Ball, a themed, costume dance, Winter Formal, a formal dance in which we all get gussied up only to swap our nice shoes for sneakers in under twenty minutes and the BSU dance, a themed dance in which all of the private schools in the area convene at RPCS for a great time. When arriving at the dance, you get to shake hands with both Ms. Kyle and Ms. Carter-Bey, which is guaranteed to be an awkward experience. Then get ready to dance the night away. Typically held in Gym C, the mosh pit is a place of no return. Have you ever wanted to get elbowed in the nose by that girl who you occasionally see in the hall or return looking as though you climbed Mount Everest rather than danced alongside your best friends? Well then RPCS dances are sure to be a highlight of the season. So get excited not only for an unforgettable night but the days before when you will hear an extraordinary amount of information about what people are wearing.
2. Dodgeball
There is no proper explanation for the greatness of this event. It would be a disservice to the day to even attempt to encapsulate it in a short paragraph, but I’m going to try. In the Upper School competition of a lifetime, each grade dresses to the nines in their class colors and competes in an event that outshines the Super Bowl, medieval jousting, and even the gladiator fights of the Roman Empire. You will never see something as terrifyingly gorgeous as our randomly selected grade team line up as they prepare for war. With the strength of Hercules and the finesse of Messi, our classmates fight for their lives and the most exclusive spot on the Dodgeball plaque. As the entire school gathers on the sidelines with chants and cheers, Dodgeball is not only a moment of great fun but one where the unity of each grade shines. No other sporting event will ever compare to the wonders of Dodgeball.
1. Opening Day
Now to the highly anticipated number one spot, Opening Day. When discussing the most famous events at RPCS, Opening Day is at the forefront of everyone's minds. With the entire school watching, the Seniors storm the gym (or turf) with homemade T-Shirts and a choreographed dance that will surely be memorable. Opening Day is unique to Roland Park and is unparalleled in every way. Whether it is the traditional school songs led by Ms. Diver, the jaw-dropping performance by the Semi-Quavers, or the sentimental dance by the Roses, the experience of Opening Day encompasses the spirit of Roland Park. Through all the laughs and tears, this event is usually a bookmark in many seniors' high school experience due to the anticipation from watching the previous grades. Opening Day is arguably the biggest, most memorable, and most fun event at RPCS, so for all these reasons and many more, it has earned the coveted number one spot.
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