Billy Hoy ‘18, James Tang ‘18:
The Thunderdome Facebook group, EA’s student section line of communication, was recently hacked by several members of The Haverford School. These “young men” of Haverford’s so called “Gentleman’s Club” posted offensive messages and sparked heated debates—although mostly amongst themselves—as they reiterated more than a century’s worth of competition and signaled the beginning of the heavily anticipated annual rivalry.
Photo Courtesy of Thunderdome Facebook
For those who are unaware, the name “Thunderdome” signifies the collective athletic fanbase of Episcopal Academy students. Its purpose is to support and strengthen the performance of all EA sports teams, particularly during the heated EA/Haverford/AIS Day sporting contests. Yet aside from the impassioned chants and unyielding resolve, the Thunderdome stresses one key quality above all else: sportsmanship.
Will Park ‘18, leader of the Thunderdome and mascot Bishop William White himself, explains, “When I think of the Episcopal Academy, the atmosphere and passion all the students put into the Thunderdome displays how amazing the school is. I think the Thunderdome has sportsmanship. We are pretty good about cheering for EA instead of cheering against certain other schools.”
However, Park explains, “The Thunderdome is a whole upper school event. To be the loudest and to make a difference to our athletes on the field we need everyone. Unfortunately, this backfired on me a little bit when my inclusiveness lead to Haverford students infiltrating the Thunderdome Facebook group.”
When a blank Facebook account named John Smith requested to join the group, Park didn’t think twice about clicking the accept button. In an effort to include everyone and strengthen the Thunderdome, Park assumed Smith was a freshmen he had not yet met in person. However, in a matter of minutes, hundreds of Haverford students poured into the Thunderdome chat and Smith was revealed to be a fake account set up for this sole purpose.
Responding to the barrage of inappropriate comments and tasteless memes, Park says, “I thought it was a childish, immature move to invade our Facebook page. I think we are better than that.”
And simply put, students believe we are better.
Kevin Foster ‘18, another key voice in the Thunderdome, adds, “The Thunderdome shows the spirit and support we have to all our varsity athletes. We always have a bunch of attendance and our stands are always full. We are the liveliest crowd in the Inter-Act and really excite the players as they play.”
And, while the Thunderdome is spearheaded by a select group of passionate upperclassmen and is mainly comprised of Upper Schoolers, it’s reach extends school wide and beyond. Lower Schoolers help cheer on the fall varsity sports teams in the annual pep rally and middle schoolers urge on their favorite athletes and teams, soon to play in these competitions themselves. Alumni even come back to show their lifelong support as faculty watch their students excel on the field. In the past, the Thunderdome has used confetti cannons, “powdered toss,” and drums to further enhance the Thunderdome atmosphere.
When asked about the Thunderdome’s significance, Sam Willis, VI Form Dean, explains, “I think there is no doubt. Obviously talk to the athletes but larger fan base plays a vital role. The fan base here is larger on Episcopal’s campus and athletes show up and play harder because of it. The fans cheering and the enthusiasm they bring is a clear positive contribution to each team’s output and performance.”