Phoebe Christos ’18,Brooke Kelly ’18: “As a kid, I always looked forward to EA Haverford day all fall. It was the biggest day of the season,” Nick Christos ‘86 remembers. “My family always marked the day on the calendar and could hardly wait. Everything led up to EA Haverford day. I was always full of excitement and anticipation.” Along with Christos, many other alumni still remember their experiences on this day as a highlight of their time at Episcopal Academy.
This year, November 11th marks the beginning of an annual interscholastic tradition cherished by EA students, parents, siblings, and alumni. EA/Haverford/AIS weekend succeeds every year in provoking fierce athletic competitions and uniting all people involved in the community. People from many generations of graduating classes have celebrated the event for decades, beginning with the first football competition in 1889. Although the event has remained constant in bringing the EA community together, the traditions of individuals and structure of the event itself have evolved throughout the years.
Today, students share rituals with their friends and family. Julia DePillis ‘18, says, “Every year my uncles and cousins all come to the games so we get to see each other. Also, the night before we have a big dinner in order to celebrate.” Sandy Warchol ‘18 also shares, “I have been attending EA/Haverford/AIS weekend since 6th grade when I came to Episcopal. My favorite part about the weekend is getting to hang out with all my friends and seeing my classmates compete.”
The festive customs of current students have been maintained from generations before, too. Christos ‘86 remembers, “The night before the games, me and my teammates would always go to someone’s house to be together. We would paint our cars to get pumped up. The day of the games everyone painted their faces and wore blue and white, of course.”
Various EA alumni describe how the event today differs from what they have experienced during their time as students. Currently, competitions against Agnes Irwin take place after a half school day on Friday, then followed by the competitions against Haverford the next day. Mark DePillis ‘83, elaborates, “It was a lot different back then. Specifically, Haverford Day was on a Friday. We would have the big rally at school on that Friday afternoon and then Haverford Day followed. It would all be over by seven or eight o’clock that night when the football game was over.” Before Episcopal introduced female students to its community, there was no Agnes Irwin Day. The addition of Agnes Irwin Day occurred in 2005. Now, both male and female athletes have the opportunity to compete on this weekend. Darby O’Grady ’16, recognizes that the best part of the day was the huge crowds that come to watch. “It felt so amazing to having hundreds of people watching me. It’s really special especially at the high school level,” she remarks.
Although some aspects of the event today differ from those in the past, there are many traditions that both students and alumni have been a part of. Julia Depillis ‘18, looking back on her experience at the former EA campus at Devon, describes the pep rally that her father also remembers. “When I was in Pre-K I used to love going to the pep rally because I didn’t really get to see the older kids that much since I went to the Devon campus and was in the Lower School. Whenever we got to the Merion campus there were always so many kids and I remember being amazed by how well they were playing their sports and everything.” Mark DePillis ‘86 recalls his memories from the pep rally as well. He claims, “I think the pep rally earlier in the day was the main tradition. Mr. Crawford, the headmaster at the time, would usually do something crazy at the pep rally. He would come in with some crazy costume or would ride a motorcycle across the football field.”
Another aspect of the weekend that remains prevalent today is the support of the alumni that return to watch the games and reconnect with their former classmates. Mark Depillis states that EA/Haverford/AIS weekend resembles what other schools may call homecoming. “One thing you notice is that a lot of alumni come back, it’s almost like a reunion every year. There are people who don’t even have kids at the school who still come back for Haverford day.” For example, Nick Christos ‘86 states, “Even before my kids went to EA I would bring my family to the event all the way from New Jersey.”
The weekend has evolved to become just as important for alumni as it is for the students. Depillis ‘83 explains, “There are alumni events before the competitions now and it’s like a big deal for the alumni too.” Christos ‘86 remembers, “One of the best parts of coming back for the event is seeing old classmates, friends and teachers doing the same thing. EA spirit never leaves you.”