By Erica Edman ‘21, Feature Editor

The annual chocolate slide to initiate the senior class is a spirited tradition that has been ingrained in Newark Academy’s identity for years. However, to most people, the story of how this crazy tradition came to be is a mystery. I sat down with Ms. Galvin in order to find out more about the origins of the chocolate slide and how it has evolved over time. 

In the mid-’90s, the school council decided it wanted a way to initiate the younger students. After the idea to initiate incoming freshmen received a resounding “NO” from Ms. Galvin, the idea developed into a rite of passage for seniors. After many crazy and inappropriate suggestions, the council landed on a giant slip and slide covered in spaghetti and red sauce. I know what you’re thinking: who would want to roll around in spaghetti?! That year’s student council thought the same thing as they picked up wet pieces of spaghetti from the grass in the dark. The next year, the council changed the spaghetti slide to the chocolate slide. A few years after that, they added whipped cream to the mix. As the years passed, the annual tradition continued to evolve. The slip-and-slide turned into a giant tarp, kids started gathering around the edges of the slide, and a hug from a senior began to be considered a badge of honor for the younger students. 

 Each year, seniors have accepted the craziness of the chocolate slide and each class seems to add its own unique spin to the tradition. This year’s senior class, instead of sulking in the muggy weather, chose to think of the rain as an extra added layer of fun. In fact, more seniors than ever before came to slide down the chocolate-covered tarp.

This tradition is such an important part of our school because it is one of the few times when students forget about the stresses of school, what they look like, how they are supposed to act and just have fun. As Ms. Galvin heard one sixth-grader in the crowd say, “this is a kid’s dream!” Every year students watch the ritual, their anticipation only grows stronger for their turn. Personally, I can’t wait to slide down the tarp next year with the rest of my class (after a thorough sweep of the ground below the tarp). But just because the chocolate slide already exists doesn’t mean there is no room for new fun traditions. Students should speak up if they have any ideas for new traditions because no matter how ridiculous an idea is, it might just last at Newark Academy for years to come.