One of SCHS’s beloved traditions, Powderpuff, will be cancelled this year due to a lack of participation.

Powderpuff, an annual event seen in many schools across the nation, is a game of flag football played by junior and senior girls competing against each other. In contrast to the usual norm of football, Powderpuff has girls on the field playing and boys on the sidelines cheering. At SCHS, it has been going on for more than 20 years.

However, this year’s Powderpuff will be cancelled, much to the disappointment of several students and staff.

According to Vice Principal of Activities Angela Kretsch, the issue was that not enough seniors signed up.

“I hope that there will be enough next year. I really enjoyed playing in 1999 and 2000,” said Kretsch, an SCHS alumna herself.

Patrice Anderson, SBO Secretary, said that only around three seniors signed up this year, while the activity requires at least 20. In her 22-year experience at SCHS, she only saw Powderpuff being cancelled once before because of a lack of people. This will be the second.

“The enthusiasm for Powder Puff seems to have dwindled in the past few years,” Anderson added.

Because the game date is set a year in advance and the jerseys have to be ordered beforehand, there is no chance to recover the game, which was set for May 20, even if more seniors sign up, according to Kretsch and Anderson.

“We have been announcing on the morning announcements for several weeks, and it has been sent out to the seniors on their SCHS social media, so I think we have done all we can,” Anderson said.

According to some seniors, senioritis is the main culprit for the lack of participation.

“Honestly, we are all ready to graduate,” senior Isabelle Badall said. “Nobody, or at least me, cares anymore.”

Senior Katherine Patterson added, “Part of the reason seniors didn’t sign up is [because] senioritis is hitting and people are less willing to spend their time on activities.”

Junior Devyn Snyder, who had signed up to play, expressed her disappointment. She had been looking forward to play ever since her mother told Snyder of her own Powderpuff experience years ago.

“Powderpuff is a fun activity where girls get to play a game that they normally would not,” Snyder said. “[It’s] an opportunity for everyone to have one more football hurrah for the school year.”