Highland Games: The Newest STE Tradition?

We do many things well at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School (STE). Most notably, our Scottish Pipe Band, led by Lyric Todkill, has given us worldwide recognition. We compete in the World Pipe Band Championships and the European Championships every summer from July to August, and we’ve won five times; this year, we came second. In addition to this, we also participate in numerous competitions around the United States during the school year. You may also have heard of our incredible men’s basketball program, run by Head Coach Chris Twine, who are currently State Champions after a captivating run throughout the tournament.

However, there is something new and exciting within the walls of STE: The Highland Games! The Highland Games is a fun, active, and friendly competition between Upper School students created last year by the Head of Upper School, Mr. Tim Wainright. Mr. Wainwright explains, “The Highland Games is an adaptation of the Senior versus Freshman games that were a tradition at STE. To make an incredible event for the entirety of Upper School, I decided to include Juniors and Sophomores. We assigned legacy colors, Navy and Gold, to build team spirit and camaraderie. It is important for school leaders to always be thinking about the student experience; to set aside time and events for students to have fun in a way that positively promotes our school culture and allows for much needed brain-breaks.”

Navy Team boys getting ready for an intense dodgeball game. (From left: David Barrash, Sebastian Arguelles, John Paul Barnes Timmy Nguyen, Ethan Flores, Adi Vasudevan, Jarod Mosley, Isaac Velez, Micha Gichana). (Photo: Aashna Patel).  

During the event, Upper School students divide into two groups, the Gold Team and Navy Team. Students competed in various games, including flag football, volleyball, capture the flags and a massive tug-of-war. Games are usually split into sections based on grade groupings and gender. Each match a team wins counts as one point toward their overall team score. The team, Gold or Navy, with the most points at the end of the event are crowned the champions.

“The Highland Games was one of my favorite bonding moments at STE! It not only brought out our competitive side, but it made everyone work together as a team. I can’t wait for another Highland Games this year!”, said senior Zoe Chen. Overall, students enjoyed working together and competing. Junior Felicity Ramsey recalled, “I liked how my team won and how people who didn’t know each other well worked together to win.” “I liked the tug-of-war contest,” commented junior Jonathan Giles, “It was a struggle for both sides, a real battle. It certainly brought out our school spirit.”

The Highland Games will now be an annual event due to its vast popularity amongst the Upper School students. The Gold Team, the defending champions, is excited for a chance to come out on top again, while the Navy Team is looking for an opportunity to get some revenge for last year. Plus, with the new addition of teachers to the teams, The Highland Games is surely going to be a favorite tradition for years to come.