Rivals relive the competition of the past

Nov 1, 2010 by clove

The continuing competition of Hastings and Elsik began 38 years ago. In 1972, when Hastings was founded, only a North House was built. As the school began to expand, a South House was built. A few years later Elsik was built, and once the two separated, the controversy began.

The two have been competing in every diminutive affair. Hastings girls track Coach Monique Franklin attended Elsik and graduated in 1996. Hastings and Elsik was “very diverse and tight-knit,” she said, yet the competition was a “friendly rivalry, but Elsik was the best at everything.”

“We had a lot of talent, worked hard, and were very competitive,” she said.

One the other hand, English teacher Kerri Morgan graduated from Hastings in 1987 and she said, “Hastings was definitely better than Elsik.”

“They had a better football team, but we beat them at every other sport, and Brigade was way better than the Revelers as well,” she said.

My question is what makes one school better than another? Is it the mascot? The band? The teachers? The students? The hall monitors? The classes? The sports? The extracurricular activities? I say it’s nothing. No school is better than the next. It’s just what you make of it.

What is so interesting is that the new addition to the family, Taylor, is yet to be the center of attention. Who is their rival? Is it both Hastings and Elsik? I say that they don’t really have one. It could be Kerr but they don’t have any sports, which is what most schools compete against. If they were competing with academics, then Kerr would win.

In my opinion school shouldn’t be about which school is better at one thing another school is not. It should be about having fun and graduating and becoming successful in life. My advice to students would be to enjoy school while you can, because it won’t last forever.