Dragon's Print

Since its inception, House Activities Day (HAD) has been a beloved tradition at CIS. For many students, it’s the chance to connect with their peers and create lasting memories. HAD brings together students from different grades and houses, creating a sense of unity and camaraderie. From creative activities to traditional games, HAD has something for everyone. In this article, we’ll provide a complete overview of what the final HAD has in store for us, including an interview with the event’s coordinator and Student Council president, Jooha C., along with some surprising fun facts that you won’t want to miss. So whether you’re a veteran HAD participant or a newcomer to the CIS community, prepare yourself to uncover the origins and extensive planning involved in executing an event of this magnitude.

To begin with, we have an interview with the Student Council President of our school and the organizer of this latest HAD, who will share insights about what this event is and his personal experience in coordinating it.

Could you give an overview of the activities for this 3rd HAD this year?

Jooha C. (G12)

•  So HAD is going to be split into different groups where students have a chance to pick if they want to play either sports or activities for the whole day. Sports options will include basketball, soccer, and volleyball, while non-sporting students can participate in activities such as Zoom in Zoom out, Trivia, Water Relay, Sprint Tic Tac Toe, Song Association, and Pictionary. This HAD event differs from previous ones in that students now have the opportunity to select what they want to do. Additionally, basketball and soccer, which many students have requested for HAD events, have been included to satisfy the preferences of the entire student body.

Did you face any challenges organizing this upcoming HAD?

Jooha C. (G12)

• As with previous HADs, it was a challenging task to allocate teachers to each station, and even more so this time as we received approximately 135 responses from Grade 6-12 students regarding which group they wanted to join via a Google Form. Sorting through the numerous responses was a difficult process, as we needed to organize them by both group and grade level while ensuring that teams were evenly distributed.

What did you enjoy most about organizing this HAD?

Jooha C. (G12)

• I don’t know, it was hard man! *laughs* No, but being serious, I enjoyed the meetings together with STUCO members organizing everything and hearing the different ideas. Also, it was nice to hear from students who had new and creative ideas, like last week when we were finalizing everything, one student had the idea of a Seniors vs Teachers Tug of War which isn’t something we considered originally. So by listening to student ideas, we can have even more and more ideas that make the event so much more special.

Lastly, what are you most excited about for this last HAD of yours?

Jooha C. (G12)

• I’m excited for my house team Acacia to win, but other than that I’m also excited about the Seniors vs Teachers Tug of War since before the pandemic it was a yearly tradition that we were unable to do due to COVID-19 but now I’m glad to bring it back.

Now, here are a few interesting facts and stats regarding the History of HAD at CIS:

1.  It has been 44 years since the first HAD, which was hosted in 1979.
2. Molave, which has emerged victorious in 10 HADs throughout the event’s history, won the inaugural HAD.
3.  The longest win streak of HADs is currently held by Mahogany, which has won 4 HADs in a row during the years of 2006-2009.
4. However, Acacia was the first house team to win 2 HADs in a row, winning in 1980 and 1981.
5. Since the 21st century began, Narra has won the most HADs, scoring 8 in the past 22 years.
6. Although looking at just the 20th century, Acacia and Narra both have the most wins, tying at 6 championships each.
7. There have also been three instances in the years of 1985, 2007, and 2020, where two house teams tied for becoming the House Sports Champion. 
8. It is also worth noting that on all three occasions where the house teams ended up tied for first place, Molave was consistently among the bunch (Narra & Molave 1985, Molave & Mahogany 2007, and Narra & Molave 2020).
9. Narra, though, has the most ever wins in HAD history, with a record of 14 HAD champion victories. 
10. Nevertheless, Mahogany will be attempting a title defense after winning HAD last school year in 2022.

In conclusion, House Activities Day has been an integral part of CIS for over four decades, bringing students together and fostering a sense of sportsmanship and community. This year’s HAD promises to be an exciting event with a variety of activities for students to choose from. Despite the challenges of organizing such a large-scale event, the Student Council President and the organizing committee have put in the effort to ensure a memorable experience for everyone. As we look forward to the final HAD, we can also reflect on some fun facts and statistics about the event’s history, including the most successful house teams and some surprising ties for the championship. With Narra holding the record for the most wins in HAD history and Mahogany seeking to defend their title, it remains to be seen who will come out on top this year. Regardless of the outcome, the spirit of HAD will continue to live on at CIS for years to come.

Article by Sean K. (G12), Feature image by Marianne G. (G11)

The views expressed in this article represent the personal views of the author and should not be taken to represent the views of Dragon’s Print and Cebu International School.