Accompanied by pouring rain, students charged into the center of Phelps Stadium in the middle of Andover’s first-ever Cluster Olympics. Crowded around the soaked cluster flags, students started impromptu waves of chants, dances, and singing, capping off the night’s festivities with a demonstration of cluster pride.
The Olympics are a part of the Dean’s Office’s effort to bolster a sense of belonging on campus for all members of the Andover community. Aya Murata, Assistant Dean of Students and Residential Life, spearheaded the planning process with Tasha Bohorad ’26, crowdsourcing ideas from over 150 student leaders.
“My goal was to build community, especially for the closed weekend when we traditionally haven’t had much going on Saturday. In the past, it was up to clusters to organize activities, which were mostly student-driven and didn’t involve advisors, House Counselors, or other adults. I thought that since we have this captive audience on campus during the first weekend, we should have a way to kick off the energy and foster relationship-building, which is the foundation of a strong school year,” said Murata.
After students gathered in Phelps Stadium, events proceeded normally for several hours before rain suddenly broke out. Some students left the stadium, seeking shelter in the Snyder Center, while students already on the field began dancing. Marcela Hernandez ’25, a Blue Key Head, talked about how the phenomenon spread.
“I started dancing in the rain with my [Abbot] Co-Presidents, Migyu [Kim] ’25 and Charles [Vest] ’25, and with Jaylen [Dayley] ’25, another Blue Key Head… and I noticed that a lot of my friends in Abbot also started dancing and singing, and when you’re singing in the rain, no one really cares, because you can’t really hear anything. So it just became a really fun environment. We all kind of invited everyone onto the field to just dance in the rain. And I haven’t felt that much school spirit, maybe ever, in such a concentrated area, and so it was just so much fun, and it was surreal… and then joining into that big mosh in the middle of the field in the rain was just such a fun experience, probably one of my highlights at Andover,” said Hernandez.
Russel McLaren ’27, a new Lower, commented on his takeaways from the Olympics. McLaren highlighted how the night acted as a fitting way to introduce students to Andover.
“It was a great way to start my time here at Andover. It’s definitely going to be one of the memories I look back on… Everyone had a lot of energy, everyone was hyped up. Like I said, it’s definitely a memorable event. Myself and everyone else will look back on it as a great way to start the year,” said McLaren.
Thomas Campbell ’28 competed for Abbot Cluster in the Rock-Paper-Scissors event of the Olympics, taking second. He spoke to how his perspective toward the Olympics shifted as the night went on.
“First, it seemed more annoying than fun because it was such a long walk to get to the initial place, but it was hyped up by all my dorm mates because it seemed kind of cool. And once we finished the initial part, like with our cluster, I didn’t realize we were gonna have to meet up with everybody else, and I kind of got hyped up for that… I saw how, not competitive in a bad way, but a good competitive Andover is, and it gave me such a bigger view on how Andover, with community, is really strong and tight,” said Campbell.
Ivy Randall ’25, Cluster Co-President of West Quad South, noted how students’ initial skepticism toward the Olympics turned into genuine pride. She pointed out how students could reframe mandatory events as opportunities to strengthen Andover’s community.
“I don’t think people were looking forward to it too much. None of us really knew how it was going to go… [but] the biggest thing is to show up as optimistic as you can be, because you don’t really know how it’s going to go. As a first weekend activity, it was amazing because it showed younger students that we can make fun if we want, if we’re all committed to it, and if we all want to make it a good event, it’ll happen. The rain kind of added a fun, spontaneous twist on the night. I honestly felt like it was a movie in the end, everybody dancing in the rain, but it was a really great way to kick off the year, and definitely had a strong sense of community and love for one another,” said Randall.
Murata extended her philosophy regarding the Olympics to the rest of Andover, emphasizing the need to be deliberate when communicating with others. She encouraged students to bring the energy of the Olympics to all corners of the campus community.
“We’re at an amazing school, so let’s have fun together. Let’s put our phones down, talk to each other, and get to know other people. I hoped it would be an inspiring event that would carry over into other activities, like class events the next day. It’s about leaning in, stepping out of our comfort zones, and building relationships with people we might not otherwise meet. Community doesn’t just happen; we have to be intentional about it. I hope students remember the fun they had and continue to seek out opportunities to connect with others, whether it’s in their dorms, advisory groups, or teams,” said Murata.
