Powderpoof

Upperclassmen girls play out on the field early in the morning before school. Upperclassmen boys practice their routines during the lunches leading up to Homecoming. Others are designing crazy costumes to wear for the halftime show. 

Powderpuff is an annual tradition that Jefferson Academy has the night before every Homecoming, but this year, it seems that the events will be pushed back to a later date due to complications. 

“Powderpuff is our annual Homecoming tradition where we play a flag football game between the upperclassmen girls on the Friday before the dance,” explained senior Katie Proctor, the Student Body President. “There’s also cheerleading where the upperclassmen boys each cheer on their respective teams and choreograph a whole halftime routine.”

Both Powderpuff and Peachfuzz have always been events that both students and teachers look forward to each year. These events have been opportunities for students to bond and get to know the people that they wouldn’t have really known otherwise. 

“[My favorite part of Powderpuff was] getting to hang out, just the girls, because we don’t really get to do that much, and there were a lot of people that I don’t usually hang out with that I got really close to during it,” shared senior Aiden Hohnstein, who played Powderpuff last year. 

Instead of Powderpuff being the night before Homecoming as it has traditionally been done, this year Student Government has decided to move it so that it is a part of Prom week. While one of the events is moving, Peachfuzz will remain with its regular schedule. 

“We’re basically going to replicate the same thing, just the week of prom, which actually makes a little bit more sense because it is an upperclassman event,” Proctor stated. 

Both in front and behind the school, it is not hard to tell that a lot is going on. Yellow CAT vehicles can be spotted in many different places just from the classroom windows.

“Right now, the field is under construction,” shared senior Leyna Gibson, the Student Body Vice President. “They’re building our new track, which we’re very excited about, but unfortunately that does mean that the field is unable to be used, and the date of when it is going to be open keeps getting pushed back.”

While there was an option to use the Broomfield Commons, that brought way too many questions about scheduling and distance. For those who could not yet drive, it would certainly be an issue.

“Practicing in the mornings, like how the girls would do for football, is not sustainable at all since they’d have to go to the Broomfield Commons,” said senior Finley Bullis, Student Body Secretary. “It is a full ten minutes away, which would have twenty minutes of total time just dedicated towards driving rather than practice, which is a really inefficient use of time.”

Not only would using the Broomfield Commons make early practices difficult, but also, it would mean that the Homecoming game would not be played on our home turf.

“The whole idea of Homecoming is that it’s at home so we’re starting off the year strong at home, so it felt a little off to try and change the location,” Proctor explained.

Many students have mixed feelings about the move of Powderpuff. While some would have preferred it to stay how it has always been, others are excited for the change. 

“I was hoping to do it at Homecoming this year because I feel like it’s one of the Homecoming activities and it’s been like that for the past couple of years, but I’m both sad and happy that it was moved to Prom,” shared senior Tristan Abell.

Either way, Powderpuff is still an event to look forward to, no matter the date. Student anticipation of the event may have been postponed, but it certainly has not declined. 

“I am just excited overall to do it again because it was a really fun experience,” shared Hohnstein. “It’s not something that you get to do very often with everybody, and especially being a senior this year, it is another fun thing you get to do.”