The canned food drive – we’ve seen the fliers, we’ve seen the window paintings, and we’ve seen the internalized competitiveness among peers. This annual event is a monumental one, resulting in much more than just a large sum of food donated to the Manitou Food Pantry. This is a dual competition; it is a competition with a school we have been rivals with for many years (St. Mary’s), and a competition between advisories.

The drive began October 13th, and ends this Friday, October 24 before the end of the school day. At the Pirates vs Mustangs football game that night, the winning school will be revealed. Although going against a rival school is enough to motivate some classmates, there is more at stake than just bragging rights. At half-time of the game, the student council executive board of the losing school will get ice-water buckets dumped on them by the winning school. Yes, this will happen in front of all football game attendees.

Last year, sadly, Manitou did not fare well in the traditional face-off. However, we should not get discouraged. With enough food brought within these next few days, anything is possible. Hint: it’s not how much you bring, it’s how much it all weighs.

The same rule of weighing donated food applies for the advisory contest. The winning advisory’s prize is yet to be determined.