By Nabeeh Ndiaye
Photo by Nabeeh Ddiaye
Among some of the Willow School’s many traditions, the crawfish boil is one that most students look forward to every year. And this year was a very special one, indeed.
With the beginning of the fourth quarter came the eagerly anticipated 40th annual crawfish boil. Like every year, there were a variety of games, foods, and performances. Despite significant construction at the high school campus, Willow’s 1984 themed crawfish boil was still a success after being moved to the middle school. The Willow community showed up and made sure this was an event to remember.
One thing the crawfish boil always does well is food. Students walked, talked, and ate pizza while the parents sat around eating crawfish. Looking around, you could see younger kids running around with snowballs, candy, and baked goods.
Not that being a freshman would stop someone from enjoying a sweet treat. “The snowballs were good,” freshman Lucy Collins said. “They always are.”
Available to buy were crepes, sodas, pasta dishes, salads, and more. There was even Cane’s sponsored ice tea and lemonade! There were so many options that it was hard to try everything. “It was pretty fun,” freshmen Nia Darensburg said, “although I didn’t end up eating any crawfish.”
The performances were also a highlight of the crawfish boil this year. After weeks of preparation, parents were able to watch their kids perform dances and skits. The high school band and dance class also performed. Some of the performances played into the 80’s theme. One high school group performed “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham. Another middle school group danced to “It Don’t Mean A Thing” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
“I enjoyed performing,” freshman dancer Makeala Caesar said, “especially getting to dance with the younger girls.”
Like every year, there was a variety of games and booths for younger students to enjoy. Giant hamster balls, ring toss, a bouncy obstacle course, a caricature artists, and guessing games were lined up and down the street. Students were given the opportunity to run games for service hours. “The kids were hilarious,” volunteer Lilah Matthews said, “even though they were kinda bad at the games.”
The event was especially fun for new students. Getting to experience the crawfish boil for the first time is always interesting. “It was pretty entertaining for my first time,” freshman JaQwan Keelen said, “especially seeing all those people outside of school.”
Unfortunately, not every booth was able to operate perfectly. High school chemistry teacher Ms. Shelton said, “It was fun, but I was disappointed that the dunk tank broke early on.”
Like every year, the 2024 crawfish boil was an opportunity to have a good time with friends and family. No matter the campus it’s on or the theme it has, crawfish boil is great. “It’s always a fun experience,” sophomore Aye Akara Aung said, “when you’re with your friends.”
The event always brings people together. Students of all ages, parents, and friends come out to enjoy themselves. Fifth grader Lucinda DiMunno puts it best: “I loved the food and the bouncy houses, and the prizes, and the games, but I did not find any good prizes because the good ones were too expensive and I didn’t win enough tickets. But otherwise, it was very fun.”
