Color Wars returned, 2022 edition, and filled the campus with screams and splashes of color. During lunch on Friday, Feb. 11, the Archer community gathered in the courtyard to defend their grade’s assigned color and compete for spirit points. Student Body President Langdon Janos said she felt triumphant surrounding the return of an annual Archer tradition.

“The grades bonded, which we’ve had less opportunity to see in the last few years,” Janos said. “COVID regulations had stopped us from having all-school events, but now that it’s second semester and everyone is vaccinated, we’re finally able to have everyone in the courtyard at one time. It feels like we’re finally returning to some semblance of normalcy.”

Student council’s Executive Board planned the competitions that took place, and the grade-level representatives helped by rallying each grade. On Thursday, class reps decorated their grade’s color-themed doors in the courtyard to set up for the next day’s festivities. Students participated in a color-themed mural competition, a relay race and tug of war. The race’s events were all new, including melting an ice cube, tossing a water bucket, solving a trivia question and an impromptu rapping competition.

“We wanted to be really inclusive with our events for people with various talents because tug of war is catered towards people who are super athletic. The mural is about being artistically creative,” Janos said. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to show off their trivia knowledge or their performing arts ability with the rap.”

Freshman class rep Francie Wallack said the annual tug of war is the most competitive event. Each grade was matched with another grade in the respective upper and middle school, and winners of the pairs faced off in final rounds. The junior class defeated the seniors in the third round, and fellow junior and tugging participant Zoe Griffin said they felt proud after the win.

“We really came through with the tug of war, and I’m really proud of us,” Griffin said. “It’s our event.”

From the teams of tugging to the voices lost in cheers, Color Wars is an Archer staple. Janos said the bonds within the student body deepened after doing a full Color Wars for the first time in two years.

“In the past, Color Wars has been one of my favorite events because it really unifies our grades. That’s important now because we’ve been away from each other for a while,” Janos said. “Competing against other grades, the entire grade is cohesive, and everyone is working towards the same goal.”

Fitness coach Natalie Chambers experienced her first Color Wars on Friday. She participated in the faculty team for tug of war and said she saw enormous amounts of spirit at the event.

“I’ve worked at a lot of schools in the past and this was probably the most fun,” Chambers said. “I’ve had Color Wars, house wars, whatever you want to call it. This was the first one where I was screaming and almost yelling. I lost my voice during the tug of war. There was so much pride. I had a blast.”