Written
2016 Marks the year for new Student Union events, which have been loudly broadcasted to students during lunch bands. The SU’s latest project is a school-style “Fear Factor” competition. Students and teachers competed against each other in tests of bravery and endurance, ranging from cracking an egg on their heads to eating worms in whipped cream.
First up was egg roulette, in which competitors received a set of hard-boiled eggs and one raw egg. Dean Robin Figelman received the broken egg, while the other contestants escaped dry.
Next came a set of blindfolded pushups into an unknown substance, mustard. After this contest, sophomore Gustavo Delgado faced Ms. Figelman in a public speaking event. Ms. Figelman made a speech about her favorite book, Fifty Shades of Grey, while Gustavo spoke about an experience he had about getting lost on a bus.
Following the speaking event, freshman Shivani Persaud sang “Love Yourself,” from Justin Bieber’s new album Purpose. Shivani’s rendition was succeeded by a dog biscuit relay, in which each person had to transport a dog biscuit in their mouth halfway across the gym. However, senior Tiernan Mathers picked up two biscuits at a time and had to return one, leading to a victory for the teachers. In the seventh event, each team got several pieces of chocolate with at least one cricket somewhere in the chocolate.
The teachers ate their chocolate fastest and won the round. Following the cricket eating round was the traditional trust fall and then the final challenge, eating cat food. In the end, the teachers’ team won with 145 points compared to the students’ 105 points.
In the end, the teachers’ team won with 145 points compared to the students’ 105 points.
Students and teachers had mixed reactions to the new Fear Factor event. Despite the unusual schedule changes, Ms. Figelman said that she wasn’t reluctant for any of the events and commented, “It was fun—it was a chance to show my funnier side.”
The freshmen, also sharing the uncertainty of the events, were especially critical about the event.
Freshman Eva Guo said, “In certain aspects, I do think it was a waste of money. I was fairly disappointed in the lacking ‘Fear Factor’ quality about the event. Although I wasn’t exactly expecting intense and extreme challenges, the actual challenges were still pretty lacking, even though it was already [less intense] than the actual show.”
Student contestants also had varying opinions regarding the event. Freshman Marsad Kabir also felt this way, saying, “I didn’t have reservations towards Fear Factor because I do think I am fearless. Additionally, I was thinking it couldn’t be as bad as they show it on television.”
Despite these criticisms, the Student Union store said that the event was a financial success, raising about $900 for the school. SU secretary and junior Alex Chen explains, Traditionally, the SU hosts a fundraiser, whether the cause be for our school or some sort of charity.
“We decided to try the ‘Fear Factor’ this year to usher in a fresh experience. Because this was the first time we held the ‘Fear Factor,’ we could have had better transitions through the events, but for an original program, ‘Fear Factor’ was pretty successful,” he concluded.
