Hollis DuPont ‘21
Kathleen Mark ‘21
Maiah Islam ‘21
Photo Courtesy of EA Twitter
EA/Haverford/AIS Day is one of the few opportunities during the year for Lower, Middle, and Upper schoolers to unite and show their collective school spirit. Many people believe that EA coming together as a whole for the weekend is just as important as the rivalry itself. Scholium asked students in all three divisions what they are looking forward to the most for the exciting weekend. All students agree that coming together as a school to support the athletes, to cheer from the sidelines and, of course, to beat Haverford and AIS builds unity within the community.
Although they are not competing, EA’s youngest, the lower schoolers, displayed a fierce school spirit and were quick to share their favorite parts of the upcoming weekend. “I love dancing at the pep rally with all my classmates,” said Reed Lawler 4th grader. Sheppard Buccini, another 4th grader, said “When I’m in Upper School I want to play football against Haverford, and I’m excited to watch the team play this year.”
The middle schoolers are also excited to support their siblings in the games and look forward to being able to compete themselves in a couple of years. “EA/Haverford Day is very important because we get to unify as a school. I’m going to be rooting on my brother who’s playing golf, and cheering with my other Upper School brother.” said Maggie Dugery ‘23. The upper schoolers love to represent their school on the field, the court or on the course. Jill McEntee ‘21, a varsity cross country athlete said, “When I was in Lower School, my favorite day of the year was EA/Haverford/AIS Day and I loved seeing all the Upper schoolers at the pep rally and on the fields. Now that I am in high school, I realize how important it is to have a day that brings the whole school together, especially since this is one of the only opportunities during the whole school year.”
The unity also stretches beyond the students, as EA’s teachers love to see their students compete. “EA/Haverford Day is a great tradition and I’m excited to see my class do well in this historic rivalry,” said Zach Richards, Form Dean of the Class of 2021. The weekend also allows EA’s alumni to reminisce on their years at Episcopal and continue to support their alma mater. “My favorite memory is when I was a freshman and helped out on the football team and saw them beat Haverford,” said Michael Whalen, Upper School history teacher and EA alumnus. Whalen continues saying, “It’s a great opportunity for our whole school to display athletic sportsmanship whether they are on the field or cheering from the stands.”
To many people the EA community uniting around a common cause is just as important as defeating Haverford and AIS. It is the only time of the year where energetic lower schoolers will be cheering alongside passionate seniors and teachers will share in the enthusiasm and celebration of their students. For over 130 years the weekend has brought harmony to the school and that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.