This past week, the spirit of the Olympic Games transformed the Cyclone halls as St. Clair students and staff celebrated an unforgettable Snow Week. From international cultural displays, the coronation of a new royal court, to fierce athletic competition, the week received a gold medal in creativity, humor, and school pride.
Snow Week kicked off with a global transformation during Hallway Decorating Day. Representing nations like the USA, Jamaica, France, Mexico, Italy, and Japan, students went above and beyond. Hallways were draped in national colors, while cultural boards provided deep dives into global traditions, musical instruments, and celebrated holidays. The lockers were a highlight of the day, showcasing incredibly creative choices.
Walking through the school felt like a world tour as symbols of national heritage–from the like the Eiffel Tower, gondolas, and Lady Liberty–proved these Cyclones’ imagination knows no borders.
Tuesday centered on the highly anticipated Snow Week Coronation. Olivia McGowan and Laynee Bracken guided the audience through an afternoon of etiquette and entertainment as the event’s MCs.
Between the preliminary introductions and etiquette training, the MCs shared humorous anecdotes about the candidates’ gold-medal aspirations. We learned of training regimens that included eating peanut butter, beatboxing, LEGO building, and a collective fear that Altomari might drop the Olympic torch if given the chance.
The crowd favorite was the “Guess a Candidate” game. The competition was fierce as teams tried to identify the person behind the mystery tale. Some tales were innocent like Janessa Carstensen’s undying obsession with the popular tune “Call Me Maybe” or Garrett Mills wearing goggles to peel an orange while others were more mischievous such as Ward covering a hallway with black-painted handprints or Brooklin Hinze “borrowing” her grandparents car to attend a volleyball match. It was a humorous peek behind each candidate, but in the end, the ladies took home the gold with the most points.
Finally, coronation reached its climax as Ben Terry and Janessa Carstensen were officially crowned Snow King and Queen, and a new chapter of Snow Week history at St. Clair had been written.
Mid-week brought the Snow Week Volleyball Tournament. Using a bracket-style format, teams with names like the Chapulnik Champions, Jumping Jareds, and the Pink Fluffy Unicorns battled for supremacy. While some matches were friendly exhibitions, others reached professional levels of intensity. One team composed of all senior volleyball players showed the competition how it’s done on the court. Despite facing off against fellow Cyclone teammates, the senior girls showed no mercy when Valerie Quast blocked one of Payton Blount’s bazooka blasts at the net. The moment was electric to watch and helped secure the win with ease. her bazooka blasts at the net. Later, a staff-only team attempted a heroic comeback against the freshmen but fell just short.
The competition continued into Thursday with a high-stakes round of Snow Week Bingo, leading into Friday’s grand finale which featured an evening at the Wow Zone for students to unwind. It was a glorious Snow Week defined by creativity, laughter, and a level of school spirit that truly deserves a standing ovation.
