Post Oak QuadFest: Where Students Show Gratitude and Competition

What do you get when you combine no afternoon classes with free lunch and a community-wide volleyball tournament? The result is a gaggle of grateful high school students enjoying the annual Post Oak QuadFest. This highly-anticipated fall festivity gives middle and high school students a sense of gratitude and our newly installed artificial turf some use. Student-led, fun-filled, and activity-packed, QuadFest certainly gives Prom a run for it’s money for the best event of the year.

Of course, 2020 threw its signature curveball in the planning process. Creating an event that followed CDC guidelines and included students who were distance learning was no easy task. Nonetheless, the Fun Club put their perseverance, creativity, and wifi capacity to the test and constructed a pandemic-proof game plan. Invitations were sent, lunches were ordered, activities were prepared, and students were pumped.

Fabricio Guerra dives with impeccable form. (Photo credit: Sarah Laskin)

When the day of the event finally arrived, the school was bubbling with excitement and anticipation. Lunch, complete with colorful tissue paper decor, sanitizing wipes, and a post-meal mint, was provided by Picnic. Meanwhile, distance learners indulged in their own pizza delivery.

Once bellies were full, the community split into eight activity groups. Half of the groups headed go the quad. The remaining groups stayed in the AC and participated in Thanksgiving bingo, online pictionary, and a gratitude activity. At the halfway point, the groups switched locations from inside to outside and mentalities from heart-felt thankfulness to cut-throat competitiveness.

The volleyball tournament is always the highlight of this tradition. Students and faculty form teams, create names, and coordinate color-coded uniforms. After all, the winner of this tournament receives ultimate bragging rights and is to be treated with the utmost respect for the remainder of the semester. For nearly three hours, teams spiked, served, and screamed with excitement and frustration. Balls were launched onto the school roof and whistles were blown. Cars drove past our building in awe, wondering if we were a Montessori school or an Olympic volleyball training facility.

Andreas Cantu watches in awe as Luke Kirchner leaps to spike the ball. (Photo credit: Ariela Kluk)

When the clock struck 3:10 p.m., it was time to conclude the event with the ultimate championship: Team Name versus The Sweaty Bettys. Team Name, a group of junior boys who were clearly feeling clever when submitting the volleyball team signup form, were victorious for the third consecutive year. 

Luke Kirchner, self-appointed assistant equipment manager of Team Name, says, “The boys and I have proved our volleyball superiority once again. I am very proud, especially since we beat the girls volleyball team.” Whatever, Luke. 

On this happy note, QuadFest 2020 was complete. Well, almost. A few days later, middle school students participated in their own QuadFest, as the need to maintain cohorts resulted in two separate celebrations. Despite the annoyance of Covid constrictions and teenage boys bragging, the event was a great success and gave students a boost of energy to finish the week strong and head into Thanksgiving break.