To link the Battle of the Sexes rally to last week’s S.O.S. Sadies theme, each gender represented a tribe stranded on an island. They had to prove themselves to the Tiki God to be able to get off the island.
“(The theme) was really cool; I don’t know any other school that does that. It brought out the beast in everyone,” Humna Afzel said.
The first competition had multiple parts, including eating “island eggs,” “hitting birds in the air,” “shooting bears” and drinking “coconut milk.” The boys ended up winning this battle along with all three of the later competitions as well.
“It wasn’t even a competition. It was (the boys) destroying the girls,” Jonah Tucker said.
The next battle was a dance to please the Tiki God of the island. The girls did a tribal dance with a lot of hip swinging and arm movements. The boys did a tribal dance from the New Zealand dance called the Haka. Then, after sprinting towards a pile of huge puzzle pieces, the boys ended the battle early by fitting together the pieces faster than the girls. The final competition involved small tasks such as climbing ropes, sprinting around a center structure before finding a key, searching through sand for a key and also sliding through a ice slush slide to get a key at the end.
As the Tiki God shared its final decision of the winner of the Battle of the Sexes , the gym fell silent. Girls clasped hands and boys seemed to hold their breaths. The announcement came that the boys had won and a roar of low-throated shouts and screams went up from the boys’ side as an entire sea of black crowded the floor of the gym.
“It was very satisfying to see the girls put back in their place,” Tucker said.
The look of defeat on the girls’ faces quickly turned into chanting of “Rematch Next Year.” There was more than enough energy circulating the two sides throughout the rally as videos of Sadies week played, showing different dress-up days where kids and teachers got into the spirit of Sadies week and the S.O.S. theme. Screams of joy and waves of booing went around the gym as girls and boys that dressed up were shown in their spirit wear.
Although the chants showed that the girls would not give up without a fight, many girls felt that something was wrong with the way the rally was run and the physical nature of each competition, giving the boys an unfair advantage.
“I thought the challenges were more physical which was better for the boys, especially the rope climb,” Jacara Givhan said.
Despite the varied thoughts on the type of challenges, both sides already claim to be ready for a rematch next year.
“We will be better prepared and win. (We) can’t let the boys get three in a row!” Givhan said.
And the boys are ready to reclaim their position next year as reigning Sadies champs.
“Boys will reign supreme, end of story. It makes me sad seeing all of (the girls) get their hopes up just to have them smashed down, again,” Tucker said.
