Opinion by DominkaKouassi

There is nothing better than rushing down the floor of Baxter Arena to hug your classmates after Field Day. The connections and bonds made during Field Week every year lead to memories that I will never forget.

I consider myself a competitive person, but at the same time, the things I remember the most from Field Day aren’t the rivalries, it’s the laughs, giggles and (happy) tears. 

For example, my freshman year was the best experience ever, it felt amazing knowing our hard work paid off, earning us second place.

Competitiveness is something that all Marian girls possess. It’s a good quality to have as it pushes people to go beyond what they think they can achieve, which is what makes Marian girls so extraordinary.

But if I were to place a time when the spirit of competition exceeds the normal amount at Marian, it would be Field Day. The purpose of Field Day is to promote class and school unity while fostering girls’ creative outlets in a competitive nature. It’s a unique experience that only Marian students get to have. “I personally like the competition, but not when it gets ugly.  The Class Officers and STUBO representatives do a great job to promote community and not be a “bad winner” or a sore loser. It is a small number who struggle with that, so if you see something on social media – say something to the classmate or student who is posting mean and unkind things.  Remember it’s about the process,” Principal Dr. Susie Sullivan said. 

With that being said, letting competition take over your feelings in a way that could reflect negatively on you is weird. Sure, using other classes as motivation to succeed in your separate committee or trying to beat a class in your final Field Day ranking is fun in the moment, however, making enemies or foes during field week is not worth it.

The times when competition is fun are when you are in 30-degree weather in a random field, pushing through your last demo practice with your class before the big day. Or running down the stands, going to hug your little or big sisters, no matter what placement you got. Competition should be put away when your peers are struggling on their walls committee and need extra hands. 

So, what can you do to promote unity and positivity for your next Field Day? 

Not egging or defacing people’s property and refraining from posting mean things on social media is a good start! Though the feeling of competition may overtake you when Field Day places are announced, there is no need to do something you may regret. To be clear, anything that breaks the law or damages other property will be dealt with through the police first because it is outside of Marian’s jurisdiction.

Another piece of advice: be a good influence on the underclassmen. People tend to mirror people they admire, and to end the cycle of negative behavior during Field Week, consider the impact your actions or words will have on others and how they will reflect on your class.

At the end of the day, Field Day is not about the competition. “It’s about the process and working as a team, collaboratively, using creativity and coming together as a class.  It is a privilege to have it at Marian as it provides real-world skills that you will use at college and in life,” Sullivan said.