Seniors Take Home BotC Title
December 2, 2019
From the moment you walked into the crowded gymnasium for “BOTC 2019,” you were immediately greeted by hundreds of cheering and energetic students. Adorned in red, white, orange, and green; these school-spirited FTHS students packed in the bleachers and cheered on their grades with immense amounts of passion. The positive energy in the gymnasium was palpable, and there was not a single soul in the room who wasn’t smiling or encouraging their team. The huge, school-wide event consisted multiple tough challenges for each grade, and the long awaited Lip Synch Challenge between each team at the very end. This event is always a student favorite due to the meaningful unity and playful rivalries it sparks.
The big night was November 26th, 2019, but the BOTC festivities started even before that date. Seniors were able to score some extra BOTC points by finding the Patriot during the “Patriot Hunt” on November 24th. Seniors also won some points by amazing the school with their creative “Avatar” themed outfits. But, Seniors were not the only pre-BOTC victors! The Sophomore class had the most students to attend the homecoming dance back in October, so they received bonus points for that.
But, enough about the pre-BOTC victories. What about the actual BOTC victories? The four teams had to compete in a total of eight rigorous challenges: the Scooter Race, the Egg Toss, the Dance Moves Challenge, the Junkyard Relay, the Trivia Challenge, the Tug-o-war, the Balloon Pop, and the highly anticipated Lip Sync. The challenges occurred as follows:
Scooter Race- In an unexpected twist, the Freshman won the first challenge of the night!
Egg Toss– As the event neared its end, the Juniors and Sophomores were in an intense battle against each other. But, in the end, the Juniors took home their first victory of the night!
Dance Moves– The class of 2020 certainly knows how to strike a pose! The Seniors were able to ace the Dance Moves Challenge.
Junkyard Relay– In a race that would have the whole gymnasium on the edge of their seats, the Juniors beat the Seniors in a very close call.
Trivia– The Seniors were able to prove their intelligence by winning the Trivia Challenge!
Tug-O-War– In another intense event, the Senior girls and Junior boys were able to score some more points for their teams.
Balloon Pop– The Freshman were able to achieve their second victory by winning the Balloon Pop Challenge.
Lip Sync– In another shocking twist, the Sophomores won the Lip Sync challenge! You can watch all of the Lip Sync dances right here.
Senior Dance
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Junior Dance
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Sophomore Dance
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Freshmen Dance
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In the end, Seniors came in first place with 52 points, Sophomores came in second place with 39 points, Juniors came in third place with 35 points, and Freshman came in last place with 32 points. Despite each team’s score, every member of BOTC worked very hard and it showed. An incredible amount of teamwork was needed to win these challenges, and each team rose to the occasion! Congratulations again to the Seniors, and great job to the Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman! Additionally, thank you to the wonderful, high-spirited students of FTHS who help make this fun event what it is every year!
Here is what some FTHS students have to say about BOTC this year:
Camille Yu, Senior: “I almost fell because I was jumping so much, but it was so worth it! Go Seniors!”
Eli Regan, Junior: “It was a lot of fun, and everyone was visibly enjoying themselves. I lost my voice from cheering, but every year the event is a good time!”
Naya Cruz, Sophomore: “In my opinion, BOTC is one of the most fun events of the year. It brings people together and there is no feeling of negativity when you are there!”
Emily Landolfi, Freshman: “BOTC is so fun, and it really gets a healthy competition going between grades. It brings a lot of school spirit and energy, which is so much fun!”
Kayla Brand, Junior: “I thought it was really fun and it showed a lot of unity between all of the grades! But, I think a lot of the teams just need to work together more to do better in the competition.”
Andrea Kozuszek, Junior: “I had fun! But, I felt disappointed because usually Juniors win second place, and our grade was overpowered by Sophomores this year.”
Article by Kiersten Buckley
Photos by Patricia Salib and Denis Ciobotar
Vidoes by Patricia Salib