On Tuesday, March 29th, Norman North welcomed some unusual visitors to the gym. Who were these visitors? A group of donkeys from Wisconsin. These donkeys were part of the company Dairyland Donkey Ball, which hosts Donkey Ball events for school fundraisers. To begin the game, riders and their donkeys lined up on opposites sides of the courts, and then the competition began. The rules were simple: players must always be holding the reins of their donkey’s harness, and in order to pass a player had to be seated on their donkey. There was a slow start to the game, as the donkeys appeared reluctant to charge across the court. After some coercion, many riders were able to get their donkeys to cooperate. One player with particular success was Coach Clay, a volleyball coach, and biology teacher.

After some playing, and some donkey excrement cleanup (by the DEN Men Cleanup Crew), a new donkey was brought onto the court. This donkey was given to player Noah Brown, junior, and was named “Hammeroid.” Hammeroid was aptly named, as he repeatedly tried to buck and kick Noah. However, Noah continued to play and even managed to stay on Hammeroids back for a few seconds.

Another spirited Donkey was given to Mr. Stuemky, the APUSH teacher and a DEN advisor. This donkey was named, “The Widow-Maker,” and could perhaps rival Hammeroid for wildness. Steumky was only able to hop onto The Widow-Maker’s back for a few seconds in order to make a (slightly illegal) pass to his teammate. Promptly following this pass, The Widow-Maker bit Mr. Stuemky on the leg.

After two rounds, the Norman North faculty team, made up of Mrs. Russel, Mr. Oglesby, Mr. Boese, and Mr. Stuemky won the championship game.

Fill the Bucket Week (FTB) is a week dedicated to encouraging students and staff to exemplify kindness, service, and gratitude. Throughout FTB there are many fundraising events. The proceeds from these events go to a Staff Gala hosted by DEN at the end of the year. The Staff Gala is a free event for some of the underrecognized staff at North, including janitors, counselors, office workers, and more. The goal of the gala is to show the staff that North recognizes and is thankful for all the work they do in order for North to run as well as it does. There is a Silent Rave on Friday, April 1st, which will also raise funds for the Staff Gala.