In case you haven’t heard, the biggest event of the year at the Albany Academy for Girls occurred Friday, October 21; Bacon Bat. The first standard BB since Covid, only the seniors and teachers had an idea of what to fully expect. However, the underclassmen pulled out all the stops and made for a great competition.

Fourth Place:

Fourth of July Freshmen may not be the most unique of all ideas, but hey, we all have been there the first year of BB planning. Just as the class of 2023 did, this year’s freshmen chose white t-shirts—rookie mistake. However, the freshmen class was filled with some great athletes who performed exceptionally in dodgeball, won the relay race, and even had a heated debate with the juniors on who won the obstacle course. Their songs were surprisingly good for being rookies; however, their formation on stage was like being at a middle school dance: awkward. 

Third Place:

This year’s sophomores’ costumes were top (ten) tier. The shirts were designed with a unique design, and their hats, aviators, and dog tags tied them together. Although, the best part: Mrs. Minissale. She stole the show, wearing a literal plane costume all day. That’s some dedication. The sophomore songs were well performed and clear, even with no background music. The seniors crowded the stage during their sister class song: a wholesome moment. Additionally, the sophomores surprised us all by coming first in Quiz Bowl. I am not going to lie; no one saw that coming. 

Second Place: 

Now for a class with high hopes: the juniors. After placing higher than the seniors last year, they had their eyes on first place. With a theme that you either loved or hated, the Justin “Belieber” Juniors ended up underselling. The class of 2024 pulled through with a unique costume, as they were each mid-2000s era Beiber, with a flat cap baseball hat, black leggings, and the Canadian singer plastered on the front of their bright purple t-shirts. With high expectations, we were pretty disappointed. The enthusiasm was there, but excluding a tie for first in the new Mystery Art Box competition, the Beliebers did not take the gold elsewhere. Even in songs with infinite opportunities to thrive, as their entire theme revolved around a singer, they prioritized assaulting their sister class and the rest of the crowd with Dum-Dums rather than their lyrics. From all this disappointment, somehow, the juniors still remained neck and neck with seniors throughout most of the day until the end. 

FIRST PLACE:

And finally, the previous bronze medalists: the Shipwreck Seniors. Although seniors are expected to win every year, with last year’s major slip-up, all eyes were on them. With an array of costume and banner issues throughout the days leading up to the big event, not even the seniors were completely confident they would win. The costumes and theme were the best to date. I mean, how hard is it to top “Jukebox”? However, in the costume realm, the seniors screwed up the thing they messed up every year; the leggings. Once again, seniors scrambled for shorts by 10 A.M. because their pants were ripped or see-through. The seniors also didn’t seem to learn from their mistakes regarding chants. Over the past four years, they have never been in sync with their chants, and I can confidently say some things never change. They also seem never to figure out Quiz Bowl. Having never gotten first or second in the event, they placed last, even with a phone out to help them. Excluding these several mishaps, the pirates took first in nearly everything besides QB and the relay race (its own dilemma). With their quick takedown in the tug of war, demolition of the sophomores and juniors in dodgeball, and their coordinated dances during their songs, it was hardly a surprise when they took first at the end of the day. 

For a first real post-Covid Bacon Bat, no one could have asked for anything better. The enthusiasm and sense of community felt throughout the entire AAG campus was not felt in quite some time. There was no better way to set a new precedent for the rest of the Bacon Bats in this new era of AAG.