The hunt is on, and the prize is 500 spirit points. For Nathan Hale students like Senior Austin Vandervort, the search for the Spirit Stick is a serious, week-long quest. Vandervort and his classmates successfully claimed the stick during Homecoming week, but the victory wasn’t just luck; it came down to leveraging a clue and understanding the mind of the Spirit Stick’s master-hider, art and leadership teacher, Lealand Swarts, who believes in leaving the prize in plain sight
As the drama surrounding the finding and re-hide continues to play out on social media, the Spirit Stick confirms its place as a key factor in determining who will win the ultimate class competition.
“The spirit stick is a long standing Nathan Hale tradition… that we uphold without the need of some long historic story.” When Mr. Swarts began teaching at Hale, he was informed by leadership that security hides the spirit stick, but it was not being done so he took it upon himself to take care of it.
The spirit stick originally had many rules, but Swarts decided that they needed to be simplified, and told the leadership class to make 3 rules for the spirit stick. The rules regarding the spirit stick include: the finder of the spirit stick presents it at the assembly earning their class 500 spirit points, students must rehide the spirit stick in a public place, and a violation of these rules is a 500 point deduction to the class breaking the rule.
“It is like a soap opera and I love the drama of the spirit stick,” Swarts said. “I asked for a post to be created on social media that the spirit stick had been claimed.”
“I would love some more information from the people who have it so I can ramp up the soap opera on social media.” Swarts added.
In upcoming spirit weeks, Swarts hopes to take a series of photos with the spirit stick at various Hale landmarks, making a social media post to get students excited for the search.
“The next opportunity to find it (the spirit stick) is YDD in the spring. Good luck, Raiders.”
This homecoming, senior Austin Vandervort and two of his classmates found the spirit stick. Austin has been searching for the spirit stick since his freshman year, but the search became serious for him after he found it last spring during YDD spirit week.
“ We were pretty motivated that we could do it (again) once we did it before,” Vandervort said .
Vandervort began his search for the spirit stick on Tuesday of spirit week, but didn’t have much luck until the next day. On Wednesday there was a movie after school, and Swarts promised a clue about spirit stick to those who attended. Vandervort and his friends took advantage of the opportunity and continued searching.
With the help of this clue they found the spirit stick within 10 minutes. After the hint, it was very clear to Vandervort that it was going to be on a window and maybe you have to find it from outside the building.
“So we just kind of started walking around the outside, and then we walked by the councilors office on the outside of the building. That’s where we found the stick,” Vandervort recalled.
Vandervort’s advice for winning the spirit stick?
“Once you find it, if you get a good spot, and then you’ll be golden and you keep it for the rest of the week,” Vandervolt said. “But I’d say the first find is like the most important.”
Playing by the rules is another must-do for finding the spirit stick.
“It’s a lot more fun, especially if you just hide it.” Vandervort Said
Vandervort also enjoys the rush of coming back into school the next morning, and checking to make sure the stick still remains in the hiding spot.
The spirit stick has become a key factor of spirit week, and determining who wins the spirit competition.
