This past week, 23 classes battled in an annual Christmas door decoration contest, with first-place earning a pizza party. The contest started with the counseling department in 2018, but this year the R.A.I.S.E. Team hosted the competition trying to promote their Enthusiasm pillar.

Paige Orick’s class won the competition with double the amount of votes over the second-place class.

“When I told them about the contest, everyone did a vote over three different styles and they all chose the gingerbread house for the awning and design,” Paige Orick said. “ One of my students, Maddie Gent, suggested the idea and everyone found all of the supplies in my room”

The amount of time put into the process varied between the classes.

“As soon as I received the email, we assigned jobs for each table, so everyone had something to do,” Orick said. “We used all our AIRS time every day. Two girls in my class stayed during their study hall and I stayed after school for two hours to get the roof attached. We were very committed.”

R.A.I.S.E. established all the criteria for the contest, but all the projects are student-led.

“I love the creativity that comes from the students, and it’s just really fun,” R.A.I.S.E. advisor, Katelyn Bare said. “To go all-in on something together, and be creative and enthusiastic over something as silly as cutting out bubble letters, really brings the class together.”

Due to COVID last year, the contest did not take place. 

“I think, because of COVID, so many of the fun opportunities that our school typically would have provided for students were taken away,” R.A.I.S.E. advisor, Katelin Sondles said. “As a staff, we wanted to bring them back, and I think the door decorating contest was a great opportunity for the students.”

Since COVID began, this contest sparked the most energy in the school for the students.

“I had a blast working with my friends, without any restrictions with COVID,” Senior JD Moss said. “The 20 minutes of AIRS time every day really brought our class together, and I hope we do more contests like this in the future.”