By Delaney Fox
After a year of cancellations and delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, many in-person campus events and activities are returning during the 2021-2022 academic year. One of the latest campus-wide events to be reinstated was Spirit Week.
The Activities Programming Board and Orientation Committee planned two events every weekday from Sep. 27 to Homecoming weekend on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
Sep. 27 kicked off Spirit Week with a performance by Saint Vincent alumnus and musician Mike Medved in the Community Center Dining Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In addition to Medved’s performance, there was also an SVC Craft Night in the Carey Lounge at 9:30 p.m. Students were given materials and instructions for Saint Vincent-themed crafts.
On Sep. 28, Pod Wars, a competition begun during the first couple weeks of the fall semester among freshmen living in Saint Benedict Hall, continued with a food drive collection in the Carey Lounge.
Pod 5E celebrated winning Pod Wars with Vinny the Bearcat. (SOURCE: SVC FLICKR)
Later that night, at 9:30 p.m., teams of students competed in SVC Jeopardy in the Carey Lounge. The individuals of the winning team then played Final Jeopardy, wagering points on one final trivia question. The prize for the highest final score won a television.
Spirit Week continued on Sep. 29 with Outdoor Bingo in Melvin Platz from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students who won a round of bingo received prizes from Saint Vincent gear to roller skates. Students were also able to vote on the candidates for Homecoming Court during the event, and free ice cream novelties were available from a food truck.
Leah Weimerskirch, a sophomore biology major, was one of the many students who participated in Outdoor Bingo.
“It was a really nice day outside. I liked seeing people able to get together and play,” said Weimerskirch. “The only way it would have been more fun is if I would have won.”
On Sep. 30, there was a pep rally and a bonfire at the Saint Benedict Hall fire pit from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The marching band performed, and hot dogs and tea were provided.
Sophia Livelsberger, a sophomore biochemistry major, reported that participating in the bonfire in-person made it possible for students to get to know each other and feel a sense of community.
“There were different groups surrounding the fire, and it seemed like people were making new friends there... Everything just seemed uplifting,” said Livelsberger.
Immediately after the bonfire, there was an SVC Game Night on Fields 1 and 2. Students played kickball, corn hole, and spike ball.
On Oct. 1, Spirit Week wrapped up with free cupcakes in the Carey Lounge at 7:00 p.m. for Vinny the Bearcat’s Birthday Party.
Combined with Vinny’s birthday celebration was the announcement of the Pod Wars victors at the Pod Wars Finale. The champions of the 2021 Pod Wars came from Pod 5E.
Residents of the winning pod, Aiden Jackson-- a freshman business management major-- Jeffrey Raynor-- a freshman economics and mathematics major-- and Matthew Wilkinson-- a data science major-- were happy to see their efforts rewarded.
“We went to every single Pod Wars event... We ended up coming out on top,but it was a lot of hard work,” said Jackson.
The conclusion of Pod Wars wrapped up Spirit Week for 2021. Fall Family Weekend followed on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3, featuring the Homecoming football game between the SVC Bearcats and the Case Western Reserve University Spartans.
In addition to Spirit Week, the Activities Programming Board also hosts weekly events such as movie viewings, bingo, and crafts on Wednesday nights. Updates about events by the Activities Programming Board can be found on their Instagram page (@svc_apb) and on the MySV Portal.