On March 10, the PHS Student Council held its first annual “Dodge for a Cause” dodgeball tournament. The event, which teams of students from all grades signed up for, had the objective of raising funds for Arm in Arm, a food pantry based in Trenton.

As it was the first time it had ever been put on, this event was in the works for months before it took place. Eventually, though, 12 teams, a DJ, and dozens of spectators filled the gym with music, cheers, and squeaks of sliding sneakers.

“The idea was brought up by the student body council as a whole, and then we brought it to the rest of StuCo,” said PHS Student Body President Ashley Chen ’23, explaining the origin of the tournament.

Initially, StuCo was considering options like a dance or a game night, but it decided on dodgeball with the goal of beginning a new tradition that would more directly involve students. Members of the Student Council were enthusiastic that students could enjoy themselves while also being able to help the community.

“We settled on dodgeball because we liked the idea and … how we could support a cause without needing people to pay [the $2] for entry. Bringing cans of food for admission was a nice and different way to do [that],” said Alicia Xu, vice president of the sophomore class.

Along with the $20 charged for a team entry, StuCo members ran a table for concessions that participants could buy for a couple of dollars each.

“My friends [and I], we all really love playing dodgeball, because it’s really fun. There’s the Corner House dodgeball event and Maddie [Castillo] and I are both actually in Corner House, and we had a lot of fun there,” said Leah Rose-Seiden ’24, a member of Team Maid, explaining her motivation to sign up.

Even though her team didn’t end up winning the tournament, Rose-Seiden still recommends participating in StuCo events, especially fundraising opportunities.

“It’s a lot of fun to come to these school events, because there aren't a lot of [them], and obviously it goes to a good cause,” Rose-Seiden said.

The Student Council also saw “Dodge for a Cause” as a victory, and plans to repeat the tournament in following years.

“It is a fun tradition to continue on every year and because of its success, we can definitely expand on the idea next year,” said Xu.