Class of 2018 kicks off new senior game BY MEDHA UPADHYAY
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tudents race through the quad, brandishing spoons. Previously, this scene was a quintessential sight at Lynbrook during second semester: the climax of the classic senior game Spoons. But an avalanche of student safety concerns forced the game to be scrapped, and prompted the development of a brand new game for the class of 2018. This year, the senior class will be playing Scavage Hunt: a competitive, team-based scavenger hunt. Players were randomly assembled into 31 teams of 6, and teams will be eliminated as a unit. Each Sunday at 4 p.m., a list of items are released. The teams have until Judgement Day, Wednesdays and Fridays at lunch, to locate the items and present them to the judges. Points will be given for each item properly found on an all-or-nothing basis, and the team with the most points at the end of the week will get an exclusive look at the next week’s list 24 hours in advance. “These teams are randomized so that students can have new experiences with peers that they’ve never even talked to,” said senior class vice president Ritik Batra. “That was our way of creating unity within the class.” There will also be activities, often at lunch. Points for activities will be awarded by place, or by comple-
tion. At the end of each week, the teams that do not meet the predetermined quota will be eliminated. Toward the end of the game, teams will be dissolved and players compete individually. The last player standing at the end of the game will win two Senior Prom Bids. Members of the team with the most points at the end of the game will be entered into a raf�le to win a Senior Prom photo package, and senior Picnic raf�le tickets will also be hidden throughout the game. Along with the allure of the prizes, a senior game serves to connect the senior class. When seniors participate in this game, they can spend time together before graduation. Spoons may have served this purpose before but many students were injured in the past few years, leading to concerns from administration. “Spoons was more of an individual game, and there were survival and animalistic qualities in it,” said Wang. “This year, we tried to mitigate that.” Several activities also took place without administration’s oversight last year, making injuries sustained at these events an even larger concern. Clear communication
between class of�icers and administration is a top priority to ensure the safety of all. The senior class of�icers have been working diligently with administration; all four weeks of Scavage Hunt have already been planned. “We’ve shown everything to admin and updated them on every step of the process,” said senior class vice president Meghna Allamudi. “We’ve all cooperated to create this game; admin has been a supportive and positive contribution to the development of the game.” Scavage Hunt was created from scratch, and is inspired by college class games. For safety reasons, the game will also take place completely on campus. “I know that Spoons was a game that was developed over ten or twenty years,” said Batra. “My personal goal is for Scavage Hunt to continue developing every single year. I know that there will be mistakes, but I hope that as the game progresses, people will start to enjoy it.” Scavage Hunt brings forth a brand new senior game. in the hopes of keeping students safe while upholding the legacy of Spoons.
SADHANA SARMA — EPIC
Phase one of construction comes to an end BY MEERA BALAJI
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or the past 11 months, the shell of a building has been looming over the soccer �ield. Every teacher has grown accustomed to the sharp sounds of construction tools whirring and buzzing at random intervals. But the builders’ hard work has paid off, and the shell has become much more. As phase one of Lynbrook’s construction plan comes to a close, a new dance studio and �itness space is on the brink of completion. Although construction began late due to certain unforeseen circumstances, it was completed around the projected end date, assuring that the second phase would commence as quickly as possible. Located between the Field House and Stober Field, the �itness center will be open to all Lynbrook students to visit this May. The building will be replacing the Cove, which currently houses the Valkyries dance team and numerous sports trophies. The new weights and cardio room inside the �itness center will aim to replace the weight room, which will be demolished during the second phase of construction. “Although I’ll graduate before I get to see
all the renovations at Lynbrook, I think it’s great that the campus is going to look and be more modern,” said senior Rahul Khare. The �irst phase was also able to improve certain facilities that already existed at Lynbrook. For instance, the bathrooms were remodeled to include new roo�ing, �looring, lighting, plumbing �ixtures and doors. The faculty bathrooms adjacent to the Field House, however, are still under construction. While the main purpose of the �irst phase was to build a �itness center, the second phase will involve demolishing the ASB Den, the Cove, the cafeteria and the print center. At lunch and brunch, food will be sold in the concessions stand by the football �ield. “The plan is to renovate the cafeteria �irst, so once it is done, it will free up a large venue for people who have had to move,” said principal Maria Jackson. “We’re trying to phase [our efforts] so different areas will be released back to us before others. That way, people will know they won’t be in this position forever, but will think about the good they’re going to get in a year because something better is coming.” Some of the most drastic changes will happen in the hub of campus: the Quad. During
the second phase, the Quad will become larger, allowing more people to sit comfortably during large events such as Powderpuff and Homecoming. The Quad will temporarily be replaced by the area situated between the swimming pool and tennis courts. As a result, homecoming the following school year will take place in front of the tennis courts, since it is has the capacity to contain the entire student body. “Even though we won’t have homecoming in the Quad next year, I’m excited to see how the campus is going to improve,” said sophomore Akhil Aggarwal. The second phase of construction will promptly begin the day after Grad Night, on June 1, to ensure that the noise and commotion from the machinery does not adversely affect students at the very end of the year. The �inal phase of construction is still under discussion, but is forecasted to be a new guidance and students services building along with the addition of a lobby at the front of the auditorium. All three phases of construction aim to be �inished in 2020. “Change is never easy, but it is necessary that we work together to �ind solutions, even if they are just temporary,” said Jackson.
CCS TEAMS // pg. 14