by Douglas Abrams

“My adrenaline has yet to subside,” said sophomore Sean Fitzpatrick immediately after winning the Tiger Hunger Games, which was C-block today on the multi-purpose field.

The athletic and library departments created the Tiger Hunger Games for One School One Book. Through the Games, “our goals were to have everyone in school read The Hunger Games and to promote conversation on certain thinking points,” said athletic director Tom Giusti.

The Tiger Hunger Games consisted of seven physical and mental challenges and 26 students, who represented the 13 districts of Panem, the setting of The Hunger Games. After each challenge, physical education and health and wellness teachers eliminated four students who were unable to complete the task set before them. The final round consisted of the two remaining students.

Principal Jennifer Price drove a motorized scooter; spoke in a shrill voice; and wore white face paint, an orange jacket and a white wig, to imitate Effie Trinket, the character who announces the District 12 tributes in The Hunger Games.

Price offered commentary throughout the Games, and between each challenge, she asked audience members questions about The Hunger Games.

In the first stage, student tributes stood inside hoola-hoops in a ring around the center circle of the field. Students had to gather as many supplies as they could from inside the circle and bring them back to where they were standing. At the same time, students had to protect their supplies from others who attempted to steal them. This challenge simulated the cornucopia scene from The Hunger Games.

In stage two, students threw objects at designated areas on the field to score points.

In stage three, students crawled underneath hurdles to collect four balls. Tributes could only take one ball at a time and had to place them in a bucket.

In stage four, the tributes answered trivia questions pertaining to The Hunger Games. The four students who answered questions incorrectly or did not answer questions were eliminated.

In stage five, students tried to hold balls in their lap while crab walking across a small section of the field.

In stage six, tributes were challenged to build pyramids out of cardboard disks by moving them from one peg to another.

Fitzpatrick and sophomore Theo Resnick were the final two competitors. For the final challenge, Fitzpatrick and Resnick shot arrows at a target from 20 yards away. Fitzpatrick clenched the victory because one of his shots was closer to the bull’s eye than Resnick’s.

Fitzpatrick said, “I honestly did not think that I would get past stage two, so I am really excited that I won.”

Guisti said, “There was great participation and the games were done in true Newton North fashion.”

Over 200 students applied to be tributes, Guisti said.  Although so many students applied, only 26 students were able to participate. Below is a list of the tributes.

• District One: senior Kristian Sumner and Fitzpatrick
• District Two: seniors Tara Cabache and Kris Labovitch
• District Three: seniors Bridget Gillis and Michael Kaye
• District Four: senior Sarah Sylvia and sophomore Noah Carlen
• District Five: Resnick and sophomore Tess Simmons
• District Six: sophomores Kerry Brock and Isaac Landman
• District Seven: sophomore Elena Rodriguez and freshman Maxwell Kozlov
• District Eight: freshmen Eliza Breslar and Christian Aguilar
• District Nine: juniors Shannon Fitzgerald and Anthony Vitone
• District Ten: juniors Mackenzie Dreese and Solomon Mercurio
• District Eleven: freshmen Mirabelle Espady and Sam Wayne
• District Twelve: freshmen Cliff Jewett and Makayla Seto