Traditions are a big part of the culture on the hill. The infamous Winterfest is a week full of themes to dress up, and activities and at the end of the week there is always an assembly where everybody in the school gathers and shows school spirit.

The assembly includes the introduction of new leprechauns, carpool karaoke, Winter sports announcements, lip sync battle, and of course the Golden Paddle tournament. The Golden Paddle tournament, organized by History Teacher Mr Antony Ernst, is a ping pong tournament that takes place during Winterfest. A number of games happen before the end of the week to narrow it down to the top two where they compete in front of the whole school at this assembly.

“This was the 15th year of the Golden Paddle,” Ernst wrote. “We opened the Student Life Center in the Fall of 2002 and added ping pong tables to the recreation area. It became pretty obvious that kids gravitated there after school each day and the thought of having a tournament seemed natural to me and The Golden Paddle was born.”

With the support of Dr. Tom Greer (Vice Principal of Student Life) we worked to set up a bracket and promote the event. It was a big hit that first year and grew each year for several years,” wrote Ernst.

The top two competitors this year were Senior, Abe Farmer and Junior, Ty Carroll. Despite the hard work each put into the intense battle, Ty Carroll came out on top defeating the senior and continuing the victories for the juniors for the 2023 Winterfest. “It was a great match … the energy in the WAC was reminiscent of the Golden Paddles of the past. It was awesome,” Ernst wrote.

If students enjoyed being a part of the festivities and participated more closely, “The Golden Paddle will return in 2024,” said Ernst.