Sports Night creates friendly rivalries

Hewlett High School students gathered together last Friday for a night of fun and games at the school’s annual Sports Night. The event united students in each grade.
Each grade competed against each other in a variety of activities including volleyball, basketball, tug-of-war, relay races and dances to win the title of Sports Night Champions. This year, the seniors came in first place, sophomores followed in second, then the juniors and lastly the freshmen.
Proceeds from Sports Night benefit the Adam Barsel Scholarship Fund and the school’s Student Council, which organized Sports Night. Barsel was a student at Hewlett High School who died in car accident in 2000.
Every year, Sports Night has a different theme. This year’s theme was holidays. Seniors had Halloween, juniors were given Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras for the sophomores and freshmen had the Fourth of July.
During the days leading up to Sports Night, students are encouraged to participate in Spirit Week, in which each day of the week is a different theme, ranging from Pajama Day to Theme Day. Students dress up in costumes/clothing representative of their grade’s holiday.

Before the big event, each grade preps and pumps each other up in their own assigned classroom before running out into the gymnasium for their big entrance. The atmosphere is filled with energy, chaos, competition and camaraderie, and the experience is truly like no other.
“Sports Night this year was especially fun. It’s always great to see all of the grades come together for this on night and play each other in the name of friendly competition,” said senior Renee Kaplowitz. “It was also so exciting to finally sit in the ‘senior’ section of the gym, wearing all black [each year seniors wear black for the event]. After four years of waiting and sitting through each grade’s set sections in the gym, it was definitely all worth it! And winning was certainly the icing on the cake!”
As Hewlett High resumes normal school days and says goodbye to planned theme days, students sadly say goodbye to Sports Night. The seniors bid farewell to Sports Night for good, while underclassmen patiently wait for next year, where expectations are higher and students are more competitive.