Switching Up the Schedule for Duchesne Unity Day!

On September 29 at Duchesne Academy, classes were shortened for Unity Day. Throughout the day and in-between classes, various activities and games were offered as a time for students to bond together with their grades and as an entire Upper School.

After their first class, students headed to the theatre for the opening ceremony. Class cheers occurred followed by class president speeches personalized to their own grade. 

Seniors Mikah Kreuzer and Natalia Reyes stringing beads on their keychains for the non-profit SEARCH Homeless Services in advisory. (Photo: Tessa Harfenist)

Throughout the afternoon, the grades dispersed to their assigned activities. Outside the chapel, students decorated wooden signs with their class year and signed their class candles. At the same time, competitive dodgeball matches were played in the gym. Sofia Cimo enjoyed partaking in the Unity Day tradition where the seniors played dodgeball against the freshmen, “I liked playing dodge ball with the seniors because we got to create more community with our class and play against our senior buddies.”

The freshmen lining up to contribute to their art project by finger printing and signing on their “2027” class sign. (Photo: Tessa Harfenist)

Furthermore, board games were offered in the foyer for those were wanted a more relaxing activity. Senior Sophia Rivera appreciated the new addition of board games this year, “My favorite activity was playing “spot it” with my friends. It was so much fun being able to sit down and play a game we haven’t played since we were little.” 

Towards the end of the day, students partook in the annual Unity Day service activity inside advisories. This year, students created beaded keychains for the non-profit, SEARCH Homeless Services, that assists and supports families who are homeless in Houston. “I loved watching everyone work together to make the prettiest key chains they could. We were all so excited that someone would be putting their keys on our keychains to unlock the front door of their new apartments,” said junior Annie Coulter who helped organize the service activity. 

The junior class finishing off their Taylor Swift Eras Tour themed lip-sync performance with the Tik Tok Bejeweled dance. (Photo: Tessa Harfenist)

The final hour of the day was spent with water balloon tosses, popsicles, and the long-awaited lip sync battle. The freshmen performed a rocking performance of Single Ladies by Houston-born Beyoncé. The sophomores showcased energetic choreography and improvisation during their lip sync of Cruisin' for a Bruisin' from Teen Beach Movie. After, the juniors followed with an Eras Tour lip sync, giving us looks of Taylor Swift cowboy boots and cardigans.

Lastly, the seniors took up the challenge to replicate the Pitch Perfect’s Bellas Finals Mashup performance with inflatable microphones and bandanas. They lip synched to early 2000 hits like Price Tag by Jessie J, Give Me Everything by Pitbull, and Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus. Once all the performances concluded, the teacher judge panel deliberated and eventually announced the sophomores as the lip sync battle champions, ending Unity Day 2023 on a high note.