With over a hundred kids participating, the Latin gladiator games was a huge success. Students in Latin formed teams of three gladiators and competed in rigorous manly activities like the infamous obstacle course, a spectators favorite. During the obstacle course, students had to climb padded barriers, run through padded blocks, and race around course flags. While they ran this course, gladiators were simultaneously being pelted by tennis and medicine balls. One gladiator, Charlie Casa ’14, said that “when you run through the course and you get hit by the tennis balls, you really don’t feel it. But when you get to the finish line and stop running, that’s when the pain comes.”
The Games have attracted other teachers to participate in them, such as math teacher Mr. Crew, and theology teacher Mr. Skerl. Crew was determined during the obstacle course to do everything in his power to knock students to the ground by using medicine balls. Mr. Skerl, on the other hand, used the Latin Canon (a pitching machine) to fire tennis balls at the gladiators. “There is pure joy in shooting kids with the canon, and it brings a smile to many faces, but mostly mine,” Mr. Skerl said. As for why Mr. Crew on why he participates in these Latin games, “I’ve always wanted to be a Latin teacher, especially like Joe Z.” These two definitely gave the spectators a show by inflicting pain on the gladiators, and the crowd loved them for it.
The games went on after the obstacle course to an event where students tried getting past teachers and then put rugby balls into different bins. After that, gladiators faced off against teachers in several rounds of jousting. Students and teachers tried knocking each other off a three foot platform, a dangerous event that tested their manliness.
The chaos of the gladiator games reigned in the Murphy Field House, and the courage of gladiators–and even the spectators–were tested. The blood shed of the gladiators was a small sacrifice they had to make to become a man, and some spectators shared this blood shed after misfired tennis balls from the Latin Canon came their way. If Mr. Skerl improves his aim, and gladiators from this year start training earlier, then the games next year will be even more fun. As for this year, we ask, “Are you not entertained?”
