Fun and games

Students, teachers take a well-deserved break after midterms.

By: Rachel Silverman
   Before Wednesday afternoon, special-education teacher Renee Szporn had no idea her co-worker, Princeton High School secretary Jane Diaforli, was so darn good at Scrabble.
   But after a 40-point, triple-word scoring turn, Ms. Szporn quickly realized she was outmatched.
   "She’s killing me!" Ms. Szporn chuckled.
   Ms. Szporn’s gaming skills — and those of her fellow staffers and students — were tested at Princeton High School’s first-ever charity Game Day event, held in the gymnasium.
   With midterms ended just minutes before, students belted out karaoke tunes, challenged their teachers on the basketball court, and plotted out strategic moves in board games like Monopoly, Othello and backgammon.
   A table tennis tournament, set up in one corner of the room, drew more than 40 students and 60 faculty members alone, according to tournament organizer Charles Gallagher.
   "We’ve raised over $100 already," Mr. Gallagher said near the beginning of the event.
   The money — in addition to funds from other school charity projects — will be donated to the Red Cross as part of the tsunami relief effort.
   "An ad-hoc Tsunami Relief club has been formed," high school community service director Andrea Dinan said. "We’ve sold scarves, we’re planning a bingo night," she added.
   A poster near the front office shows such efforts have yielded over $500 to date, with more projects in the works.
   High School senior Emma Impink said the ongoing disaster-relief efforts have provided a much-needed outlet for student activism.
   "A lot of kids have been struggling with how they can help," Emma said. "I personally have been floundering.
   "Plus, as high school students, we don’t get to play board games and bingo that much," she smiled, running off to play a round of Guess Who with a group of friends.
   Sophomore Kelly Curtis also seemed to enjoy the Game Day theme, shooting hoops with her peers and teachers on the basketball court.
   "A lot of girls from the basketball team came out today," Kelly said. "We were playing with two teachers. They were good," she laughed.
   "This is also a relief after midterms," she continued.
   For junior Rohith Chandrasekar, the fund-raiser was a natural intersection of interests.
   "I’m from India. I have family living close to where the tsunami hit," Rohith said.
   "I’m actually an avid Ping-Pong player," he continued. "I started a Ping-Pong club at school. We meet every Monday from 3 to 4 p.m. We have about 15 students so far."
   According to event co-organizer Ms. Dinan, the fund-raiser grew out of an idea for a table tennis benefit for tsunami victims.
   "The end of midterms just seemed like a really good day to have it. It wouldn’t conflict with testing or class work," she said. "It’s also a half day."
   The high school Parent Teacher Organization pitched in as well, setting up a table with snacks like hoagies, popcorn and cupcakes for sale. The table included stuffed animals, hats and stationery as prizes for the competition winners.
   "I couldn’t even begin to count how many parents have helped out," PTO member Gail Nelson said.
   But while parents and teachers helped organized the event, student participation was really at its core.
   "We made it kid-motivated, student-run," Ms. Dinan said.