Sunnyslope teachers performed viral memes and dances during Faculty Follies on campus January 29 and 30, entertaining students with a comedic show, according to Follies host and Journalism Teacher James King.
Students packed the auditorium to experience the show that only happens every two years, reacting with laughter and earning a sense of belonging.
Sophomore Neka Causer said the show connected her to her teachers, saying the show “really humanized the teachers, and now I have a better rapport with them.”
This effort to connect with students began in August when English Language Teacher Kristi Moore booked the theater and announced the dates to the entire staff.
Moore, a member of the Viking Staff Association, coordinated the entire production.
This strong communion is a main reason for participation by teachers.
Math Teacher Mike Fenton, a long-time participant, agreed that the event leaves a lasting impression on the students and that “students talk about Follies for the rest of the year.”
Faculty Follies is more than a show; it is a tradition.
According to Fenton, “Follies is one of the most exciting and unique events that we have at Sunnyslope — it’s been around for decades.”
French teacher Angela Kintscher elaborates, “It is a tradition that has been around since the 1960s, and it is important to continue its legacy. It is one of the many traditions that make Sunnyslope so special.”
King said, “The show was around when I was a kid. I get to play a traditional character that used to be played by the head football coach.”
King is referring to the long-lasting skit “If I Were Not a Teacher…”
“I remember watching the ‘Faculty Restroom’ skit over 20 years ago, and screeching when my biology teacher drank from the spit cup,” King said.
While the performance is a long-standing tradition — in fact, you can find pictures of the Spring Follies in the 1955 copy of the Valhalla (our school yearbook) — it is now also a fundraiser for the Viking Staff Association.
“Through the biennial Follies fundraiser, we are able to raise money for scholarships every year,” said Moore.
For the teachers, the tradition also creates opportunities to work with people they may not have imagined.
Statistics Teacher Heidi Baker said, “It’s fun to see your colleagues do something out of the norm… We have a chance to perform with teachers outside our departments.”
This collaboration creates an immersive atmosphere for the students attending.
Causer described the whole audience as “quite lively,” saying she felt they “were all going through it together.”
The positive reactions of students are a main reason teachers continue to participate.
Fenton has “now participated in 16 Faculty Follies,” and plans to continue “as long as [he teaches] here.”
Part of what makes the performances so enjoyable is the non-tense approach.
“We don’t practice too much. We want it to be fun and spontaneous,” added Fenton.
“I’d say I write my hosting bits the day of the first show… I just take a look at what’s happening on stage, and then wing it,” King said.
The experience is always worth it in the end.
Baker believes that “although it makes for an exhausting week, the memories are definitely worth it.”
