Coral Gables Senior High’s publications pushed their Cavalier spirit beyond the classroom, displaying it on the field during sixth and eighth periods with the company of Journalism 1 and film classes for the annual Communication Arts, Film and Digital Media Field Day. Sponsored by the resources of the CAF&DM academy and led by the Quill and Scroll Journalism Honor Society’s board and their advisor Ms. Zuniga, on Feb. 20, the event hosted seven journalism teams that competed in chants, games and preliminary activities for the Most Spirited and Best Overall awards.
Since its debut, the event has become a staple for Gables’ journalism-oriented students, as publication members await an outlet for their competitive nature in an area outside of the classroom. Leading up to sixth period the day-of, teams prepared for the event as they worked together to create banners, posters, chants and distinctive clothing choices.
“Field Day really helped [Catharsis] bond and we had a lot of fun doing it together. We had our hearts set out for the Most Spirited award and even though we may not have won, the memories we made that day are bigger than any award,” freshman Eli Levin said.
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CavsConnect’s seniors stand in a line and snap a picture to remember their final Field Day with the publication.
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Freshman Isabella Montelongo participates in the water balloon toss, representing CavsConnect and anticipating the throw while preparing to flawlessly catch it.
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Publication representatives from CavsConnect, highlights and Cavaleon take their seats during musical chairs, celebrating their passing to the next round.
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CavsConnect senior Laura Torres uses physical strength to speed up the process during the Hula Hoop pass and allow it to reach the next person.
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CavsConnect editors, prideful of their matching gear, take a picture on the court doing synchronized handstands as they wait for the next game.
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Publication members utilize their matching gear, shirts, pom-poms and chants to display pure spirit as they cheer on their classmates throughout the rounds.
Throughout the week, the second floor hallway of the 9000 building was adorned with CAF&DM-themed decorations in preparation for Scholastic Journalism Week. Each group was assigned a portion of the hallway to place their creativity and decorate. From painted designed to three dimensional lockers, the innovative elements in the hallway and daily questions for people to freely respond to between passing periods were created to build anticipation for the upcoming event.
As the final bell signaled the beginning of sixth period, field day members gathered in select classrooms before entering the hallway. Each party crossed the hall accompanied by their accessories, bellowing chants in unison. On the field by the basketball courts, Quill and Scroll board members Sophia Sol and Lauren Kaler opened with an introductory speech, providing an overview of the hours following. The competition began with a free-throw challenge.
“I was in Spanish class during the time they walked out during, and it was so nice getting to hear how happy and prideful they were about their teams. After school, I was so excited to check Instagram and see who won all the rounds,” freshman Maria Aborio said.
Following the free-throw, teams competed in musical chairs. Each group sent two volunteers to surround a shrinking circle of chairs, shuffling around it at the sound of music and scrambling to find one as said music stopped. The final round resulted in a high-stakes battle featuring highlights and CavsConnect, augmenting friendly competition into the ultimate seconds of the round.
Teams also participated in a hula hoop pass, water balloon toss, three-legged race, hula hoop leap and balloon race. The hula hoop pass required 10 volunteers from each team to work together and quickly to ensure the hula hoop reached the opposite side as fast as possible. Each group moved the hoop through a human chain, allowing it to make a round trip through the line as teams rushed to drop to the floor in unison. The water balloon toss required pairs to toss balloons without breaking them; a faulty throw or catch led to elimination and one of the two students being soaked in water.
“I loved the energy all the publications brought that day…Even as I started to get tired, the chants and participation of my friends got me excited, and I can’t wait for next year,” sophomore Savannah Serpa said.
After a break, the final activities began on the field. In the three-legged race, pairs of students ran toward a cone and back with one of their legs in a sack, continuing until the sufficient amount of pairs crossed. The balloon race operated on similar terms, but with partners holding a balloon between their back and torso.
“My favorite [game] was the three-legged race because it was the one I participated in, and it really fosters teamwork between two members, no matter how chaotic it is…it was just really fun to try to learn each other’s paces,” sophomore Katie Huang said.
The hula-hoop leap required participants to stand inside of a hula hoop placed on the floor. They then obtained a second hoop, threw it closely in front of them, and were then required to retrieve the initial hoop without stepping out of their current one or falling. The road to the finish line in this round was gradual, but the tension surrounding never wavered as participants placed complete focus into their throws and members of their publications coached them throughout the process.
The seven teams selected eight members to participate in a relay race, where they took turns sprinting from a starting point to cones, then tagging in the upcoming runner. The continuous process carried on until each of the runners made their lap, sprinting through the final round of the competition.
Throughout each of Field Day’s games, to ensure fairness, team advisors were rotated as they were assigned to other publications to tally scores. At the end of the games, certain Quill and Scroll board members gathered in a secluded part of the area to finalize the process, which took place as the players cleaned up.
Following a final performance of team chants, Cavaleon was deemed “Most Spirited” and Gables Live received the “Best Overall” award, signaling the end of CAF&DM Field Day 2026 and allowing each group to leave satisfied and prepared for 2027’s edition.
