View full sizeFrom left, Ryan Schikowski and his teammates Gordie Hammond, Amanda Morel, Ashley Hayes, Jamie Gluesing and Bridget McQuaide show off their winning sculpture they created during the Comet Challenge.
SOLON For the first time in its history, Solon High School launched a student-created program called the "Comet Challenge."
Students in grades 9-12 gave up some of their weekend to engage in several competitions which were designed to promote unity and teamwork among the student body.
“We wanted a way to unify our entire school, so we thought of different challenges that would encourage team bonding,” said Meredith Joseph, student member of the leadership council which created the challenge.
Thanks to rigorous campaigning efforts, 91 students and various staff volunteers attended the 10 a.m. challenge on a recent Sunday.
Participants created a team name and chant; engaged in a sculpting contest with newspaper, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaner, rubber bands and paper clips; toppled over one another in an intense but fun game of tug of war; and scattered across the campus for a snowy scavenger hunt.
The slogan for the challenge was, “together, we are.” Scores of students and staff volunteers walked around the building with T-shirts displaying the “Comet Challenge” motto, reminding everyone of the purpose of the program.
While staff members assisted in creating the challenge, it was primarily student-driven.
“The students designed all of the events,” Solon High principal Erin Short said.
At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Short created a leadership council made up of the presidents of all major clubs and organizations as well as each class president. Without much debate, council members agreed the challenge would be a good way to encourage students to intermingle with one another.
“Our goal is to get a variety of kids from various organizations to spend time together so that we can break down the walls between athletes, drama club, band and so forth,” Short said.
Challenges will be held two to three times each year and are open to the entire high school. Students are appointed to random teams, so they walk in the building waiting to learn of their team assignment.
“Our goal is to help people make new friends,” said leadership council member Paige Yaeger.
Yeager said the teams will stay the same throughout the duration of the school year, with the exception of any additions made as a result of new participants entering the challenge. Through engaging in repeated competitions with one another, she hopes people will make lasting friendships.
Kris Ferencie, drama director and advisor for the leadership council, illustrated the meaning of the challenge by presenting a motivational speech.
Ferencie explained it is easy to form habits. It is commonplace, she said, to lump people into categories and ignore them as they pass by.
“But it starts with awareness and a willingness to change,” she said. “It is time to break habits, forge new paths and develop awareness of new possibilities — as individuals, we are capable of greatness. But when we combine our infinite diversities, anything is possible.”
The leadership council is already looking forward to the next challenge.
“There was a lot of work required to plan this event. We’ve been planning this since last year, and we already have ideas for the theme of the next challenge,” Joseph said.
See more Solon news at cleveland.com/solon.