Performances Power Fourth Annual PowderPuff

Chloe Oakley, Campus News Editor| April 15, 2023

  • Grinning, blue team coach Luke Hagen ’23 pours a bucket of water onto NHS President Zaina Jafri ’23. Attendees were able to vote for which NHS officer they wanted to be dumped with water.

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  • Running, Simryn Jacob ’24 races down the field to score a touchdown during the first quarter of the game. The pink team gained an early lead, as the first half ended with a final score of 14-0.

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  • Focused, Keaton Lee ’23 performs during Chinese Yo-yo Club’s halftime performance. The club opened the halftime show, coordinating their tricks with accompanying music.

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  • Dancing, PowderPuff cheerleaders perform to Streets by Doja Cat during halftime. The cheer routine was choreographed by Nicole Fraizer, Susan Hamilton, Elena Weinstein, and Sarah Taparuskas.

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  • Katie Forshay ’23 dodges an attempted swipe at her flag as she runs with the ball. The blue team consisted of seniors and freshmen, while the pink team was sophomores and juniors.

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  • K-pop Club members Maia Tung ’23 and Bao Min ’24 dance during halftime. K-pop Club’s performance preceded the cheer routine.

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On Thursday, April 13, National Honor Society (NHS) held their fourth annual Powderpuff game. In addition to the gender-swapped flag football game, the event featured halftime performances from Chinese Yo-yo Club, K-pop Club, and male cheerleaders. 

The pink team, which consisted of sophomores and juniors, triumphed over the blue team of freshmen and seniors, scoring a touchdown in the first two minutes of the game, and ending with a final score of 22-0. Teams practiced together prior to the game. 

“We didn’t have much practice time,” blue team player Nikita Katri ‘23 said. “We practiced after school only twice because three of [the practices] got canceled.”

Practice wasn’t limited to the teams, as halftime performers such as Chinese Yo-yo Club spent months practicing and choreographing to create their routine from scratch. 

“There’s tricks that are big, and we always take into account if the audience can see the tricks, ” Chinese Yo-yo Club member Andrew Zhang ‘25 said. “And [we consider] the music because we want to match [the performance] to the music in the background.”

Halftime highlights included the all-boys cheerleading performance, which was coached and choreographed by seniors Nicole Frazier, Susan Hamilton, Elena Weinstein, and Sarah Taparuskas. Powderpuff held sentimental value to some seniors, as it is among the last opportunities for class bonding before graduation.

“I think it’s one last school spirit type-of-thing,” Katri said. “Loads of seniors came out to watch, and a lot of them also played. It’s one final attempt to win.”

The Powderpuff game is an NHS fundraiser for the Thirst Project, a nonprofit organization that builds wells for communities in developing regions that need safe drinking water. This makes the objective of the game twofold: to give the community a fun night and raise money for a meaningful cause.

“One of the best things about Powderpuff is [that] it’s just a fun game,” NHS President Zaina Jafri ‘23 said. “It’s a fun experience for everybody, and at the same time we’re able to give back to our community.”