Battle of the classes is a classy act

GRANITE FALLS — Every year, the outcome boils down to one loud, goofy Saturday night.

The Battle of the Classes at Granite Falls High School isn’t just about rivalries among students in different grades; it’s about parents and neighbors and small-town allegiances filling a gym for an evening of spirited frivolity.

“We enjoy Battle of the Classes every year because it gives us an opportunity to invite the community into our school,” said Adam Gessaman, the school’s student body advisor.

After a week of competitions, including fashion disaster and Orange and Black school colors days, each class of students wants to get as many people as they can to wear their class colors into the gym on the decisive night.

This year was easier than last for Sharon Christensen, who didn’t have to wear two sets of colors as she did in the past when she had two children at the school.

“I’ve always had to do a quick change and run from one section to another,” she said. “They know my heart is in it.”

On Saturday night, with her son having graduated, there was only her daughter, Katie, a junior, to worry about.

Not so for one of Christensen’s friends, a mom with a freshman, sophomore and junior at the school.

“That is one of the great things about having a community like Granite Falls,” she said. “They do come to these things to support the kids.”

During Battle of the Classes week, Friday afternoon to Saturday evening is spent decorating the gym. Some classes spend weeks preparing their decorations, and 12 to 16 hours setting them up with students and parents working side by side.

Seniors won the Battle of the Classes this year thanks in part to wins in boys’ macho volleyball, girls’ powder puff football and performing the top-judged skit.

“Seniors dominated,” said Ryan Peter, a senior not shy about reminding others who won.

Last year, his brother, Zackory, had those bragging rights.

“I heard about it for weeks,” Peter said. “After graduation is when I stopped hearing about it.”

Joey Best, 17, a junior, said Battle of the Classes tears down barriers among social groups.

“People get involved and it gets intense,” Best said.

Best coached the junior girls’ powder puff football team with his friend, Steven Otness, and staggered through the dizzy bat competition. The latter event required 10 perfect revolutions with his head on a baseball bat before running across the gym with a basketball to shoot a lay-up.

“It was wild,” he said. “You don’t expect to get that dizzy. It was really hard. It always makes a fool out of you. People are always falling over.”

That willingness to play the fool is part of the appeal, he said.

“You feel like you are missing something if you are not part of it in Granite Falls,” he said.

Otness, 16, said he looks forward to the competition each year.

“Next year, if we don’t come in first, I might cry,” he said. “I just love seeing everyone there going wild.”

Sophomore Kelsey Loth, 15, said the event unifies the school and community.

“Everyone knows about it every year so they all show up,” she said.

Christensen said she believes the friendly competition offers more than class rivalries. “It just puts them in a position to take on leadership roles and learn to work together, make sacrifices and compromise.”

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.

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