Classmates cheer each other on during class softball games.

Every year Collegedale Academy’s Student Association holds events and activities in which each class competes for points that culminate in a skip day for the winning class. 

The seniors are known to usually win these events, but so far this school year, the sophomore class is already on a roll. It started on August 14, the first day of school, during Icebreaker’s final activity of class chants. Once the chants had been chanted and the judges had judged them, it was official – the class of 2026 had snatched first place, leaving the favored-to-win seniors in second.

Fast forward to August 26, Class Softball games. Senior boys brought home first place for their class that Saturday night. As for the girls, the celebrating happened not among the juniors or seniors, but the sophomore girls once again. First place was theirs for the taking.

It probably came as a surprise to many students that underclassmen have been succeeding so much this school year. After all, aren’t class points rigged to make seniors win the skip day? one might ask.

It’s no secret that seniors usually win the skip day. But CA’s class point system is no secret, either. Understanding how it works could give any class an advantage – whether they’re just in from middle school or graduating this spring.

Events Where You Can Earn Points for your Class

There are a variety of events you can participate in if you and your friends want a shot at earning some points for your class. Aiming for big points? Put your athleticism to use during Class Games and the SA Picnic. Cash into your storehouse of knowledge at the Spelling Bee and Jeopardy. Embrace randomness at the Junk Scramble. SA Challenges are worth less points, but they’re a fun way to increase class points while waiting for the next big event.

How Class Games Really Work

One regular complaint among students is how the freshmen seem to “always” have to play against the seniors at Class Games. However, Class Games are more complex – and fair – than that. 

For Class Games, CA uses a ranking system called seeding to determine what classes play against each other. Each class is either first, second, third, or fourth seed. The first seed plays against the fourth seed, and the second against the third. “Freshmen will always be the lowest seed coming in because they are unranked,” Mrs. Julie Foster, SA sponsor, explains. “So [that means] they will be the 4th seed out of the other classes.” 

What seed the other classes are is determined by what place each won the year before. For the next Class Softball Games, next year’s freshmen girls will be playing against the sophomore girls, who by then will be juniors. Since the sophomore girls won Class Softball Games this year, they will be the first seed next year. (For the boys, on the other hand, this year’s juniors will be first seed since the seniors will have graduated.)

So class games aren’t set up to make the seniors win and the freshmen lose. In fact, another way of thinking of it is that if you have more school years at CA ahead of you, winning a Class Game one year gives you a better chance at winning it the next.

Involvement

When asked about the sophomore class’ recent successes, Mr. Obadiah Groft said, “I think it’s because they’re like a big group of friends.” As one of their class sponsors, he has noticed that generally, they treat each other well and are not afraid to get involved.

When it comes to earning class points, involvement is key. When the Student Association is calling for volunteers from each class to participate in challenges, that is not the time to sit cozily in your chapel seat. Sign up for SA Picnic events. Show up to Junk Scramble. Your class even gets points based on the percentage of students in the honor roll, running in Sandy Erickson, and participating in certain events. 

Be sure to invite your friends to engage in activities as well. Regardless of winning or losing, every class earns points at each event they participate in. Getting fourth place simply means you get the least amount of points. These points add up, and leaving empty slots during SA Challenges, the SA Picnic, and the like could impact how far away your class is from winning the skip day.

Having Fun

Upperclassmen will often have a physical advantage over underclassmen in events that involve sports, and will probably know more about teachers and school subjects during trivia games. That is why the point system so often seems to be in favor of the older students. This may cause frustration sometimes.

All in all, the purpose of school events is to have fun and make memories – not to earn points or win a skip day. While those are certainly incentives, competition loses its heart when we forget what really matters. After all, if your class wins but all you have to remember is rivalry but no laughter and stories, what is the point? Classes will win, lose, come, and graduate. The goal is to create memories about fun and friends in the four years of highschool we’ll never have back. Besides, as Mrs. Foster remarks, “Where else are you going to be able to put your knowledge of Disney Songs to use?”