With the second day of Ipswich High School’s Spirit Week coming to an end, the outdoor games were the focal point of many enthusiastic students; all of which were willing to cheer on their comrades in the cold and metal bleachers of Ipswich’s stadium. As the games progressed and the school bell neared, the most anticipated event of the afternoon was approaching: the 800 Meter Relay race.

As a competition historically dominated by the Senior class, the Class of 2009 was hoping to take first place in stride. With a strong Senior cast consisting of runners Mel McFayden, Andy Vickery, Kelly Gallanar and George “Cobb” Mathey, the Seniors were not thinking of anything other than victory when the entered the stadium Wednesday afternoon.

When asked about his strategy to dethrone the established ensemble of extremely confident Seniors, Junior Greg Krathwohl said: “I plan on running hard and fast. Also I do not want to veer away from what I would do during track or cross country.”

As the clock read 40 minutes past the hour of one, the whistle blew and participants in the 800 meter relay took flight.

Out of the gate the Senior class started slow beginning with Gallanar running behind the Junior rivals. As the baton is relayed over to a quickfooted Vickery, the tides of the races begin to shift into the hands of the Seniors.

With over thirty feet of track to make up, Vickery outsprinted his rival and made up significant ground heading into the third leg of the race.

At this point and time there were only two competitive classes in the running to win the race: the Juniors and Seniors.

As Vickery handed the baton to the well balanced McFayden, the Senior class went wild, erupting into chants and cheers. McFayden does not take any chances and bolts out of her starting position to gain a large on her counterparts.

The Seniors' fourth runner, Cobb Mathey, took control as the crowd burst with excitement. Mathey's speed wowed the Senior crowd, now confident that victory was near. Mathey seemed to rest on the lead, slowing down the pace of the race. As the final stretch of the race comes into sight Mathey somehow goes into another gear, propelling him into the winner’s circle and earning the Seniors major points in their race for a Spirit Week title.

As the race concluded and the fans became even more rowdy, several fans had opinions of their own on how they would try to win if they participated, none more unique than Sophomore Eli Thomas.

“I would defiantly run fast, very fast," Thomas said. "Also I would not mind throwing some elbows and if it called for desperate measures I would try to quietly dash across the field to the other side of the track.”

After the race was over and the contestants cooled down, some of the runners were willing to comment on their triumphant victory.

Said Senior McFayden: “I love that we won the 800 meter race, but our major goal as Seniors is to win Spirit Week. Although I did enjoy winning today, I mostly wanted to have fun this week and have a great Senior Spirit Week, a week I have been waiting for since my Freshmen year.”

Although this 800 meter race was not close, and the Seniors did win by a five-second margin, the question everyone wants to know is whether the officials and judges of Spirit Week did indeed favor the Seniors?

When approached and confronted with this controversial question, teacher Jeff Krieger strongly stated: "We absolutely do not by any circumstance favor the Senior class to ensure victory for them.”

With a chance to clear all the myths and rumors surrounding Senior bias, Krieger guaranteed there is no “rigged” system, and that now we can finally put the myth to rest.

In a pre-game report, athletes shared the songs they would listen to before their race. These songs vary from Senior leader McFayden’s “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas, Junior Lia Webb’s “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor, and Sophomore Anthony Longo’s choice of "Tha Carter III" by Lil Wayne.

The diversity of song choice among our gifted athletes proves that everybody is indeed different. This is what Spirit Week truly is, a chance for our entire school to come together as one and showcase our unique talents as a whole. With Spirit Week coming to and end, we should do as the banner in the I.H.S. Cafeteria reminds: “People are different. Expect it. Respect it.”