For the first time in many years, Buc Fest finally came back. Although it was slightly modified this year due to weather, students still had the chance to attend the event. The event was very well coordinated by the BPA (Benjamin Parents Association). Despite the rain prior to the event, the BPA was still able to make it happen. The event was open to grades K-12, giving students a chance to build relationships with the younger and older grade levels. 

One of the heads of the BPA, Mrs. Lauren Youngman helped organize the event. “The rain on the day of Buc Fest was causing flooding, and we did not want to risk causing damage that could injure student athletes running on the field. Within 2 hours of the event we had to make the decision to move everything off of the field into the Carolinda Parking Lot. Thankfully the faculty, staff, volunteers and our vendors were incredibly helpful as we rushed to set up in the new location,” said Youngmen. 

Though Buc Fest had to be quickly modified, it was an event that brought the school community together. “Buc Fest had activities for students in all divisions of The Benjamin School Community. There were inflatables, including sports games, obstacle courses and slides, there were carnival games, a DJ with a photobooth, face painting, balloon animals, a rock climbing wall, bungees, a petting zoo, and food from Big Apple Pizza, Dune Dog and Kona Ice.”

One of the many students who went to Buc Fest was eighth grader Sebastian Scaperotto. “I really enjoyed Buc Fest because I got to run around and go in the bounce houses. My favorite part of Buc Fest was the petting zoo. The animals were very cute,” said Scaperotto. 

The petting zoo was a big hit during Buc Fest for the students. “I had a lot of fun during Buc Fest. I loved bungee jumping and the petting zoo,” said Vivienne Kotsikopoulos.

Not only students attended Buc Fest, but also faculty witnessed the fun . “I thought that the obstacle courses and face painting were great activities for the younger kids as well as the sports setup,” said Middle School Math Teacher Mrs. Lindsey Tanona. 

Eighth grade Science Teacher Mrs. Stacy Schnurr attended Buc Fest with her kids. “My kids are in first and second grade, so of course their favorite part was the snow cone truck. I think they mixed every single color together into some sugary mess, and they talked about that all night,” said Schnurr.

Buc Fest was a great opportunity for Schnurr to spend quality time with her family.  “Buc Fest was really meaningful to my family because with all the COVID restrictions over the last year and a half, this being my second year here at Benjamin, this is the first time that I’ve really felt like we’ve come together as a community, so it made it feel like my first all school experience.”

Events like this one will continue to happen according to Youngman. “The BPA holds a Community Event each year to bring together families of all divisions at TBS. The last Community Event was held in the Winter of 2020, so we were happy that many COVID protocols had been lifted in time for us to safely gather everyone back on campus for Buc Fest 2022. We look forward to future events that will further unite the Benjamin Community.”