SPUD week is upon the students of Norman North Monday, Jan. 7, starting with their annual opening assembly as Winter break ends and student come back to school to start the spring semester.

Students were dismissed from their first hours to attend the philanthropy event and see what SPUD has done over the past year to prepare for this week. The halls were also decorated with the SPUD theme that was decided via a schoolwide vote earlier this year. This year, the theme is Lilo and Stitch, and students could see the decorated halls throughout the school based on their decided theme.

The assembly started with a short skit written and performed by SPUD committee, and shortly after the recipients were named. This year there are six recipients: Owen Billingsley, Bo McDonald, Gage Parks Payne, the family of Jake Thomas-Simmons, Infant Crisis Services Inc., and Norman North Special Olympics.

Shortly afterward, the traditional video of “Good Morning, SPUD,” where SPUD committee members go to a student’s house in the middle of the night and scare them to get their reaction on camera, was shown. This video is often the most entertaining part of the opening assembly to get the student’s spirits up; however, it is not the most important aspect of the opening assembly.

SPUD week is very important to Norman North and has been since it was established in 2001. The last few years have been very successful, raising $224,000 in 2017 and $203,000 in 2018. This year, SPUD chairs have expressed that they plan to raise more money and reach more students in the school. Time will tell what SPUD has in mind this year and whether they will stay true to their words.