Last Wednesday was Winter Carnival, a fun annual event where students can showcase their talents and competitive spirit in various activities. The students were divided into four peaks, equivalent to houses at British schools, and composed of teams for each event. The captains of each peak selected their team members through a draft system. These diverse peaks allow students from various sports teams and cultures to bond over the goal of winning the Carnival. The Winter Carnival offers students a chance to take a break from their hectic academic and sporting schedules and socialize with a different crowd to have fun and ultimately win the traditional event.
This year’s Carnival was undoubtedly entertaining. The stiff competition made every event crucial for each peak, and the captains did an exceptional job selecting the teams, because all four teams had a chance to win.
Skylight was the 4th place peak in the 2023 Winter Carnival and didn’t perform as well as predicted but they put up a good fight. In third place was Big Slide, who made a valiant effort to win but fell short. The peak that came second by just a single point was Wolfjaws. After strong performances in the talent show and echo pond snow race, Wolfjaws fell just short of winning. This leaves Gothics as the 2023 Winter Carnival Champions. Gothics was consistent in all events and deserved to clinch victory in the Carnival.
The diversity of the activities meant that every student was strong in at least one event. There were 14 exciting events, including Dodgeball, Talent Show, Tug of War, Curling, Broomball, Baking, Wordle, Snow Football, Northwood Trivia, Heads Up, Echo Pond Snowshoe Race, Dog-Sled Race, and the Obstacle Course.
The most popular event was Dodgeball, and every member of each peak participated in the heated tournament with the desire to defeat their opponents. Big Slide emerged victorious, with star player Noah Leddell ’24 leading the team. He expressed, “Dodgeball was the highlight of Winter Carnival for me. Big Slide was dominant, going 3-0 and sweeping the competition. It was also fun to compete alongside the hockey players, which I rarely get to do.”
As expected, the Talent Show surprised and entertained everyone. Members of each peak were selected to participate, and some surprising talents amazed the audience. Kiet Do ’24 had a stellar performance singing “Sway” by Michael Bublé. Sam Rudy ’23, a member of Wolfjaws, proclaimed, “That was one of the most impressive performances I’ve seen in ages. I respect the confidence he had to bring out those fancy dance moves on stage.” Many other talented and humorous performances made the Talent Show unforgettable.
The Winter Carnival was a tremendous success this year, and students could step out of their comfort zones to socialize with new people and compete in new events. Northwood is incredibly grateful for all the staff who played a role in preparing for the tournament. Without their help, it would not have been possible. Gothics emerged as the 2023 champions of the Winter Carnival with an impressive win. Who will win next year?
