For other schools, March is nothing but another month in the school year. But here, March is the most anticipated month of the year. That’s right, March means it’s time for Red and Black! But this year, the two teams–Code Red and The Black Empire–will  battle it out in May.  

Red and Black is a school-wide spirit week typically held for one week in March. Throughout various games, activities and competitions, students and staff of the Red Team (last names L-Z) and the Black Team (last names A-K) battle it out for the coveted Red and Black victory — bragging rights. This year, the student Generals of each team are Teo Bautista and Thea Aquino for the Black Team and Livy Walker and Jimmy Tooley for the Red Team. 

However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, changes had to be made, starting with the date and location. 

“We are pushing the date back to the week of May 17,” said Red Team coordinating supervisor Mrs. Jennifer Tooley. “And the big Gym Night events are going to be held at the stadium instead of the gym.” By moving the date back to May and the location outside, Mrs. Tooley, along with the rest of administration, hopes that more students will be able to participate. 

Still, even with the event being moved outdoors, the amount of spectators will be significantly reduced in comparison to next year. 

“Another big change this year is that we are not allowing any spectators that are not participants. So if you don’t have a team shirt, you are not able to get in. We are not charging admission, but any parents, community members and parents that are not at the school are not allowed entry,” said Mrs. Tooley. 

The same applies for Pool Night, another popular event during Red and Black. Pool Night, always held on the Wednesday of Red and Black, will still happen. 

“We are going to stream Gym Night and Pool Night live,” said Mrs. Tooley, “for the parents and community members who are unable to watch in person.”

Gym Night, being dubbed Stadium Night, is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. The rain date will be Sunday, May 23. 

The location and date are not the only things to change; many events had to be either cut or modified to abide by COVID restrictions. 

“We had to cut handball, partner dance, cupcake wars, speed pyramid, tire pull, king of the inner tube at Pool Night and the wet T-shirt relay, “ said Mrs. Tooley. These events, although immensely popular, require close contact and interaction that exceed the CDC restrictions. Even with masks, these events would be difficult to run safely, hence their removal for this year.

On the other hand, events such as Dance Team, Glee and the obstacle course will happen but must be modified for safety purposes. For instance, members of the Dance Team must wear masks during their routine and remain as socially distant as possible. Furthermore, it is possible that both Dance Teams will perform twice: once in the gym for scoring and another in front of everyone on Gym Night. Typically, Dance Team only performs once. Glee Team must also remain socially distanced in their routine and keep their masks on while they sing.

As for HATS events like volleyball, spoons and Mario Kart, they will be held after school before students must report to their sports team for practice. By doing so, any student, whether they are in-person or virtual, can still participate in their event. 

Finally, in the midst of change and the cutting of events, a new event has been added this year. 

“Instead of the art banners this year, the competition is going to be with the T-shirt design. The T-shirt design is actually going to be put on a banner that is going to be, eventually, hung in the main gym. That is what the art competition will be this year,” said Mrs. Tooley.

Additionally, there will be a competition between both teams to see who can earn the most sponsors, a new event added specifically for this year. The link to purchasing a team shirt is officially live and can be accessed through each team’s Canvas page.

Although it is unfortunate to see many events either cut or modified, it is promising to see all of the work administration has put in to safely hold Hatboro-Horsham’s favorite spirit week. Throughout the events, participants will be required to wear a mask, gloves and remain socially distanced, ensuring that both safety and fun can happen simultaneously.