On March 19, middle schoolers gathered in the Mudd Pit, anticipating the unknown advisory challenge. The room was split in two, with eighth graders sitting on the right side and seventh graders sitting on the left. Chatter ignited the room as students anticipated the possible new challenge. Advisory challenges have been a new tradition for the Middle School to promote connection among the seventh and eighth grade. In the past, the challenges included doughnut-eating, push-ups, and “How Well Do You Know Your Advisory?” competitions. Ms. Masami Hansen, Lower and Middle School Dean of Student Support and Spyglass advisor, waited patiently, ready to announce the newest advisory challenge.

8th grader Alexis E. asked, “I wonder if they’ll have us do something with food like they did last time or something completely different.” 

With that in mind, Ms. Hansen announced the advisory challenge: “A Minute to Win It!” The goal was for students to throw as many different colored ping pong balls into an orange bin in under one minute. Each advisory selected one student to represent their designated grade level teams. The grade that threw the most balls into the bin would win a week of free dress. 

As furniture was cleared on either side of the room, the eighth grade team prepared for the game. The representatives for the team included Charlotte H., Charley G., Elliot G., Sophie G., Danielle L., Elizabeth T., and Fay C. The team entered the Mudd Pit awaiting the countdown. Soon enough, the eight girls quickly snatched the ping pong balls into their hands and began to throw them. Excitement grew from the right side of the room as the rest of the eighth grade chanted names and cheered for their peers. The minute was up. As the total number of balls were counted, the eighth graders hoped for a high enough score to beat the seventh grade. The eighth graders scored 80 ping pong balls, so the seventh graders would have to score higher to win. 

 Contestant Charlotte H. ’29 felt she grew closer to her peers from the challenge. “[The challenge] was really fun, and it was a good chance to get moving in the morning. It also included a lot of teamwork and more opportunities for me to get to talk to more people in my grade,” she said. 

Following the eighth graders’ round, the seventh graders began choosing their eight representatives to compete in the challenge. The empty bin was placed in the center of the pit and the one-minute timer was reset. The representatives of the teams included: Alexis K., Jennifer H., Michelle L., Becca P., Magdalena J., Emma S., Jane H., and Allison Z. As the timer began, the team did not waste a second with quickly rushing to snatch up as many ping pong balls as possible. Becca P. began throwing the ping pong balls into the bin as fast as she could, laughing and smiling her way through. Emma S. took things more seriously, focused on the task at hand to ensure a seventh grade victory. Meanwhile, a mixture of stress and confidence surged through the left side of the room as the rest of seventh grade cheered on their classmates. 

The right side of the room stayed silent, filled with eighth graders nervously anticipating whether they would win or lose. Five, four, three, two, one! The minute was up. Once again, the bin was retrieved to count the total number of ping pong balls. The seventh graders scored 75 balls into the bin, and the eighth grade had won the advisory challenge.

As disappointed groans came from the seventh graders, the eighth graders exploded with cheers and excitement. “Winning this advisory challenge felt exhilarating. It made me realize how Westridge is a community, and we could only win if we work together,” 8th grader Sophie G. said. Both grades agreed that this advisory challenge brought the Middle School students closer together. The reward of free dress was just the icing on the cake. Siena W. ’30 said, “It was so fun being able to have a friendly competition with my peers and classmates.”