Academy of Finance students participated in their annual Challenge Night on February 26 in the NHP gym. Students and parents were invited to watch participants compete in a wide variety of activities. In the end, the seniors reigned supreme and won the competition.
This year’s winning class has won every challenge cup they have competed in. Many said they enjoyed the back and forth between the sophomores and seniors during the competitions, but the seniors took the cup by winning head to head finals of Knockout and tug-of-war.
“Challenge Night was so much fun this year! I am very proud that AOF 2028 got second place. We worked and practiced so hard and no one expected us to win so many events. Y2K was an amazing theme and we for sure carried that spirit throughout the night. Big thank you to our coaches Mr. Nails and Mrs. Flood!” sophomore Jasmin Hernandez said.
“The event was so much fun! Our class all worked so hard together and we are determined to do even better next year. We have so many great ideas planned already,” freshman Jiya Bajaj said.
The physical events were not the only challenge of the night as there was a walkout with each team’s banners being voted on by the fans. The teams were provided time in their Academy of Finance classes to create their banners based on their specific theme. Everything was done by hand and many reported saying it was a great team bonding experience.
Both the freshman and sophomore class showcased their school spirit by wearing neon colors of green and pink representing the ’70s and 2000s. The juniors dressed in streetwear, getting inspiration from celebrities such as The Notorious B.I.G. The seniors hit the worm in all black with ’80s accessories and lifted each other in the air as they three-peated.
“As their teacher and coach, I really appreciated how well they worked together as a team for the freshman. All the banners were absolutely amazing and a true reflection of their creativity and teamwork. Everyone competed so well, had a ton of fun and represented our program in the best way possible. The freshmen are already looking forward to coming back even stronger next year!” Ms. Teetz said.
“I am not in AOF but you can clearly see the teamwork of each of these grades. I was rooting for the freshmen and even if things were not going their way, they were still motivated and hyping each other up. It really shows the positive atmosphere of the event,” freshman Aravind Nair said.
