Sandpoint, Lakeland 'Battle for the Paddle'

Every year, Sandpoint High School and Lakeland High School compete in a school-wide spirit competition called Battle for the Paddle. This year, Battle for the Paddle is set to be Friday, Jan. 19, at Lakeland High School. 

During Battle for the Paddle, each school tries to gain points in different events, including the boys basketball game, girls basketball game, wrestling match, lip sync battle, a scream competition, and more. At the end of the night, the points are tallied and the winner is given the paddle, the ultimate prize. For the past few years, Lakeland High has been declared the winner but, thanks to new ideas coming from the Sandpoint Student Council, SHS may stand a chance this year. 

In charge of putting together Battle for the Paddle are the Sandpoint High and Lakeland High student councils. This year, the Sandpoint High School’s Student Council was assigned to a new adviser, Dalton Hawkins. Hawkins has been a teacher at Sandpoint High School for many years as well as a part-time employee at Schweitzer Mountain. When asked how he likes his new job as Student Council advisor, he said “It’s definitely been a big learning curve … Especially when you’re taking over a program that’s been part of the school for so long, you’re going to have students that are used to the old ways and then you’re going to have some students that are open to the new ways.”

Neva Reseska, a senior at Sandpoint High and a three-year member of the Student Council said “It’s been good with a new advisor, it’s definitely been an adjustment … But Mr. Hawkins is great and he loves Student Council and he wants to make the school have more spirit and more involvement from the students.” 

Reseska, All Student Body vice president for Sandpoint High School, has been helping with the negotiations with Lakeland High School for Battle for the Paddle. Since Sandpoint High does not have a dance team this year, Reseska had to work with Lakeland High to remove the dance challenge from the competition. Another change that was made to Battle for the Paddle this year was how challenges are scored. Arguably, the biggest way to score points in this competition is the fundraiser that each school does for Toys for Tots.

In the past, the fundraiser category has been the most heavily weighted. Now, there is a limit on how many points a school can get. For each $1,000 a school raises, they get one point. The school that raises the most money gets an extra seven points. The catch this year, however, is that the maximum amount of points you can get raising money is 13, meaning the total amount of points a school can get is 20. 

Planning for Battle for the Paddle is always a major feat that each respective student council has to take on. Reseska says that “it’s definitely been not as organized as last year but I think we had a good discussion with Lakeland, but we have a lot of new people this year, the senior class is kind of taking charge whereas the past years we've has freshman do this, sophomores do that, but the senior class is definitely kind of organizing everything but it’s going good.”  

All in all, Reseska says that Battle or the Paddle should be on track for Friday. While Sandpoint hasn't won the competition for a bit, both Hawkins and Reseska are hopeful that, with the new changes to the rules, SHS has a fighting chance to bring home the paddle.

    Sandpoint High School students get ready to compete in a spirit competition as the Bulldogs compete against Lakeland in the 2023 Battle for the Paddle. This year's event is Friday at Lakeland High School.
  

    Sandpoint High School students cheer on the Bulldogs at the 2023 Battle for the Paddle. This year's spirit competition id Friday at Lakeland High School.
  

    The Sandpoint High School mascot is pictured at the 2023 Battle for the Paddle. This year's spirit competition will be held Friday at Lakeland High School.