It is that time once again, Bruins! Beardown week is here, and this year, Barlow has game! Beardown week is our spring spirit week, where students come together to show our school pride. This time of the year can be very tiring, and students can start to feel ready for spring break or even summer break. Beardown week is a chance for students to get that extra boost of motivation they need to finish the year. Beardown week this year was the week of February 6th-9th.
In the past, Beardown Week has consisted of an assembly, a staff vs student basketball or volleyball game, after-school movie nights, and activities at lunch to get students engaged. Although this year has not been packed with school activities, Beardown Week has had just as much spirit as in years past. Leadership decorated the commons with game board decorations to get Bruins in the school spirit, including a teacher guess who, a Yahtzee score ticket, and many other famous game items to encourage students to show their school spirit. Many students said they played Guess Who at lunch.
This year’s themes start the week with Guess Who or Twin Day, where Bruins are dressed the same as another Bruin. We went into Wednesday with Candy Land or Pajama Day. We were having sweet dreams of victory. Thursday came along, and it was twister or monochrome day; Bruins wore outfits of all one color, either red, blue, green, or yellow. Finally, Friday came along, and it was time for Jenga, or construction day, where Bruins wore construction outfits to prepare for the big game against Sandy that night. Many students participated in these themes; one anonymous bruin says, “I wish more people would participate and make it a big deal; spirit weeks are more fun when more people participate.”
Closing out Beardown Week on Friday was the doubleheader basketball game against Sandy. Bruins packed the stands as Barlow girls’ and boys’ basketball faced the Sandy Pioneers. The girl’s game started, and the Bruins were not gonna let Sandy get a lead; Barlow kept their energy up and beat the Sandy girls 68-15. Once the boys’ game started, the stands became packed to the brim, with both parent and student sections filled with fans from each school. With both head coach Tom Johnson and Junior starter Jalen Atkins gone from the game, the rest of the team knew they had to fight for the win. The Bruins took the lead at the start of the game and held that throughout the game to bring home a win against the Pioneers, who had beaten the Bruins two weeks prior. The Bruins won 55-36, with assistant coaches Graham Bledsoe and Gene Sailing leading the team. Both games had great halftime performances by the Sam Barlow Bruinettes, and there was a special halftime show from the Powell Valley jump rope club at the boy’s game.
As Beardown week ended, it is hoped to have given students a boost of motivation to end the year strong!
