Blue Key Heads ’64
Blue Key Heads ’23
What goes into the audition?
Cristina Donovan ’24:
“For each audition, there’s some parts we tell people in advance to do. There’s a skit, they have to know the past three years of Blue Key Heads, so 30 names, there’s an interview portion that happens in [Paresky] Commons live, and there will also be some improv parts that they don’t know about beforehand. We’ll give them a prompt, and they’ll go up and do it. And of course, they have to do at least ten pushups, dress up in blue if they can, and do two cheers in [Paresky] Commons.”
Juliana Reyes ’24:
“This trial is meant for us to see the students having fun, but also being sure that they have a good vibe and good energy, not only for themselves, but also for others. Being a BKH is about leading the school and making sure that the school in itself is having fun and being supportive… We’re really looking more at the energy that the student can bring and how hyped they can get the crowd for them and for the tryout itself.”
What’s the most memorable part of being a Blue Key Head?
ND Nwaneri ’24:
“Definitely Winter [Andover/Exeter]. That was the most fun A/E I’ve ever been to, partly because we swept 4-0, we did in fact ‘Wreck the Ex,’ and also [because] I’ve been in band all four years at Andover and that was the time that I was finally able to use my skills in the saxophone in my new role as a BKH. One of the other BKHs, Adaora Mbanefo ’24, she’s from South Africa, and South Africa has some rugby war cries, so she came up with a cheer that mimicked those and used the saxophone to lead the crowd in a cheer. It was called ‘Represent,’ it was a hit, and a lot of people liked it this year. Just being able to do that stuff really put it over the top.”
Josie O’Rourke ’24
“The Pep Rallies. Fall Pep Rally was our first Pep Rally, so all of us were a little hectic, scared, excited… And then since Winter was our second one, we kind of knew what we were doing, and so we kind of just got to enjoy it. Those 48 hours of pep rally and [Andover-Exeter Weekend] were the best of my life. I’ve never consumed so much caffeine, but I’ve also never had so much fun in my life. Doing the dance routines, well honestly the entire weekend of A/E, [was] so exciting.”
Molly MacKinnon ’24
“Being a BKH has definitely been the best experience that I’ve had during my time at Andover. I’ve met some amazing people, both my fellow BKHs and also everyone that we’ve worked with to raise school spirit over the past year. My biggest takeaway from this past year is I really just learned to embrace who I am and embrace my energetic and positive spirit and I’ve just learned to let that energy impact the people around me. I’ve had the best time spreading that energy around campus… Also, collaboration is a big one and we all have pretty big personalities, so I’ve learned a lot from my fellow BKHs and I’ve learned to work with them, make decisions that we all agree upon, and understand the viewpoints of those all around me.”
Sebastian Valasek ’24
“There are other significant time commitments that come with being a BKH apart from going to the games. Planning a spirit or a psych outfit every Friday, for me, consumes a lot of time and energy because I’m not the best with that kind of stuff… Luckily there are other Blue Key Heads that are much better at that and take the lead in organizing it. I credit in particular, Molly Mackinnon and Jack Swales, two Blue Key Heads whom I would like to highlight; their work in organizing for these things like auditions and orientation week, and these big projects that require a lot of planning. They do a lot of it. My experience has been mostly about the sports games, the Pep Rallies, and being loud, and being a presence, and trying to make people laugh.”
