Chapel Hill High School’s TigerFest, an event during which teachers and community members host activities for students, will return for the first time since 2019 on Monday, May 16.
Students choose three sessions of interesting and fun activities—in addition to a mandatory presentation about mental health—to give them a break on a day between AP exams and final exams.
Several sessions will be led by teachers to share passions, hobbies and interests that do not fit into the normal school curriculum.
The event involves over 60 sessions and facilitators this year. Sessions include tutorials on tie-dyeing, cake decorating, hanging out with baby goats and even finding a way out of an escape room.
History teacher Sam Wilkins is leading sessions all day with lawn sports and decorating his classroom and said he is looking forward to Monday’s event.
“I wanted to make sure there were enough outside volunteers from the community,” Wilkins said. “I thought of ways to have fun in both indoor and outdoor events, so students would be able to enjoy the day however they want.”
Decorating Wilkins’ room will include making posters and other creative decorations to cover the blank walls. The lawn sports session will also be led by history teacher Jacob Manning, allowing students to play games like cornhole, bocce ball and Connect Four.
The mandatory session titled “Mental Health Today—The Causes and The Cures” is led by Chapel Hill High School alumnus Basirul Haque. Haque will discuss some of the causes of mental health issues, as well as what students can do to help themselves and others suffering from mental health illnesses.
Junior Carlos Merida Villatoro will experience TigerFest for the first time this year and expressed excitement about getting to play sports, though he said he is most looking forward to the day’s talent show.
“I’m excited to play badminton and soccer, but I’m definitely most excited for Tigers Got Talent,” the junior said. “Seeing how cool the session list was this year, I feel bummed for having missed out the previous two years to be honest.”
Tigers Got Talent is the school’s version of America’s Got Talent, and students are allowed to register and showcase their talents during the final session.
Principal Charles Blanchard described the event as an opportunity not only for students to learn but also to enjoy themselves as the year draws to a close.
“It’s an important opportunity for our students to have fun, relax and choose from a wide variety of topics that interest them,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard also said that the school is trying to run TigerFest as it has in previous years but noted that students will be asked to wear masks for sessions in the auditorium.
“We are trying to conduct the event as normally as possible,” the principal said. “However, we are requesting for students to wear a mask when they attend the large sessions in Hanes Auditorium.”
Senior and student body president Madi Lin said she has worked hard alongside the rest of the student government to prepare for TigerFest, and is excited about bringing the tradition back this year.
Many students will experience the event for the first time, so Lin described TigerFest as a “celebration of all the hard work we have put in this year.”
Student government initially struggled to find teachers and community members willing to lead sessions due to the pandemic but was finally able to get enough people to fill in as session leaders.
The district’s Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks said it was an easy decision to sign up to lead a session on CHCCS communications, so that he can interact with more students, especially during his first year working for the district.
“Being with students throughout the day, even if I’m the one presenting, is an opportunity to hear new ideas and discuss how to improve upon old ones,” Jenks said.
Jenks is excited not only to teach students about what he does, but also to learn from students on what he can do to change how he does his job.
“I’m hoping to get out of it just as much as the students get. Good communication is a two-way street,” Jenks said. “Being around staff and students and feeling the positive energy of a school day is really what makes my job in communications so enjoyable.”
TigerFest session registration was done by class, with seniors choosing sessions first. The freshman class chose last, after some of the more popular sessions such as cake decorating and hanging out with baby goats, had filled up.
“Some freshmen I know stayed up until 3 am to sign up for the baby goats session,” freshman Angela Yang said. “I didn’t have priority over choices, but I still got to sign up for a few events that sound really fun.”
Some students said they enjoy the idea of TigerFest but may choose to relax after AP exams by taking the day off instead.
“I am planning on using TigerFest as a mental health day,” senior Eliana Smerek said. “I will go to a couple sessions that I am most excited about, like seeing the baby goats, and use the rest of the day to unwind after AP exams.”
Even though Smerek does not plan to be there the entire time, she is excited about the event returning.
“I love seeing all the unique activities at TigerFest,” she said. “It’s really cool to see people present activities and talk about subjects they are truly passionate about.”
