Pictured: Members of the Class of 2015 rock the zombie look for their Song Contest performance.
There comes a time in every Chatham woman’s life when she has the urge to slay all those who stand in her path. No, I’m not talking about Kickboxing 101, nor am I talking about Feminist Theory 101, nor even am I talking about Oriental Sword 101. Annually, Chatham sisters – first years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors – compete for a week to determine which class is the best. This hell week is politely termed Battle of the Classes (BOTC).
Competitions include window painting, mystery events, participation, and at the end, all four classes present a skit (less than 15 minutes) consisting of multiple songs and dances. This year, we kicked off BOTC with participation in Relay for Life. The following Sunday, we painted the windows in Anderson Dining Hall to match our Song Contest themes. Various faculty and staff scored the windows in a number of categories, such as creativity, neatness, and Chatham pertinence.
Monday, we competed in Scare Factor (a Fear Factor knockoff) where individuals ate ice cream laced with odd toppings, like ketchup, mustard, onions, relish, and Miracle Whip. Tuesday, we made blankets and answered trivia for breast cancer awareness. Wednesday, we made cheers for Chatham’s soccer team to encourage our wonderful players. Thursday, we made drinks for Mocktails during Halloween Dinner. Finally, on Friday night we sang our hearts out onstage in Eddy Theatre.
While the battle was tough, the ladies in red (Class of 2017) or first years returned triumphant, winning by a margin of 30 points. Tensions over BOTC week are intense, but at the heart of it all, we remain Chatham sisters forever. This year has been the best year for all participants; many more students than average maintained involvement and produced the highest quality work that this Chathamite has ever seen. Go Cougars!