On Saturday, August 18, the Class of 2022 gathered together to take part in a proud Benet tradition: Froshfest. Froshfest is an annual celebration during which freshmen are welcomed to Benet Academy by the upperclassmen, met some of their fellow classmates in a small group setting, and participated in many fun activities. It is organized by the Special Events branch of Student Government, as Special Committee leaders Grace Tyson, Patrick Vivoda, Caroline Rotkis, and Margaret Yahiro worked with President Mark Sortino and Vice President Sean Morrison to ensure that this year’s Froshfest celebration was a super day for the underclassmen.

This year’s theme was Superfrosh, and all freshmen were broken into small groups lead by an upperclassman and assigned a superhero as their mascot. The day began with icebreakers among the group members, giving the freshmen a chance to get to know one another. Through sessions of the name game and various physical team building challenges, the nervousness of the freshmen began to subside and was replaced by a feeling of fun and excitement, as the energy of their group leaders became infectious. After these various indoor activities, the underclassmen were brought outside to play a few other fun games, such as Captain’s Coming, a variant of Simon Says. Run by the varsity football team, this activity requires participants to complete an inflatable obstacle course. The freshmen were then given a snack break, followed by a tour of the school by their group leaders. The day then concluded in St. Ronald gymnasium with a pep rally, which began with a tug of war competition between different groups and their leaders. The cheerleaders then took center stage, teaching the Benet fight song to the freshmen and performing one of their routines. The Avions then ended the pep rally with a performance of their own, helping to ensure that the freshmen ended their welcome to Benet with excitement.

At the conclusion of the pep rally, the freshmen and their families were invited to stay for mass and a picnic, the first of many such events these students would celebrate. It was a relaxing change of pace from the high-energy morning the underclassmen had, allowing them to truly enjoy the beauty of the Benet community. Froshfest is a wonderful way for the Benet freshmen to overcome their apprehension of starting their first year at Benet and to start to building friendships with their fellow classmates. Hopefully, the memory of Froshfest and the friendships made on that day will last these students a lifetime.