A New Tradition Begins

Mr. JA has been a tradition for many years, and has been a time for the senior boys to be part of a pageant and put on a show for the rest of the high school. However, this year Mr. JA is no longer going to be happening, and the Excellence Games will be taking place instead. 

Many students were apprehensive about the change at first, but a lot of them are excited to see how the Excellence Games play out. 

“At first I was a little confused by it, but now I think it's cool and it's a new, different thing,” explained sophomore Caidence Hodges. “It’s cool to get more people involved.”  

Although Mr. JA has had a lasting impact on the students at Jefferson Academy, many students are looking forward to the Excellence Games, which are a spin on the Hunger Games. 

“I am excited to see what happens at the Excellence Games and I think that it will be a very fun school experience,” said junior Aubrey Cox. 

Some people are excited about the Excellence Games, but there are also a couple upperclassmen that are a little bitter about Mr. JA no longer taking place. 

“I was looking forward to competing in Mr. JA senior year with my friends but I won’t have that opportunity anymore,” commented senior Asher Eberling. 

The Excellence Games are a series of competitions between teams, and the winning team gets two free prom tickets. Yet there seems to be some questions as to what the Excellence Games really entail. 

“I don't even know what the Excellence Games are,” said junior Caitlin Boston. “I don't think anyone really does.” 

In the past, the winner of Mr. JA was awarded two free prom tickets, and that remains the same for the Excellence Games. However, since people are now competing in teams of two, some do not think the prize really makes sense anymore. 

“For Mr. JA, winning 2 prom tickets made sense because these were people participating individually,” explained junior Bentley Nielson. “I think it would make a lot more sense if the winning prize for the event would benefit the club in some way.” 

Due to the teams consisting of one boy and one girl from a certain club, many speculate that there might be a larger audience that attends the games. 

“I think that it will definitely have a lot more participation because girls can do it too, and there’s just more representation because so many different clubs and sports are involved,” said sophomore Cadence Fredricey.  

Despite all the changes that have been made, many students are optimistic about the Excellence Games. However, some students were a little disappointed when their club/sport was not given the opportunity to compete. 

“I like that it is by club, but I also think they should add an extra spot for softball and baseball,” said Cox. 

Even though some people are let down by the change, others are focusing on the positive. Fredricey expressed how she liked the idea of having something more inclusive for the different clubs offered at our school. 

“I think it's good that it's by club because then we get some variety and also it gives more meaning to the people who win,” said Fredricey.