Flora Adair '26
On the Saturday afternoon of April 30th, the Mesa was abuzz with excitement in anticipation of Cate and Thacher’s annual Spring Fling. Spring Fling is a once a year event held on either Cate or Thacher’s campus; it is a moment when the long standing rivalry between the two schools is temporarily forgotten for an evening of celebration and dancing. While this year's event was held at Thacher, the Cate community came out en masse, sporting the Cate colors of blue and white and brimming with school spirit. Throughout the crowd, there was excited chatter about potential new friends and the thrilling activities sent out to the general. The schedule was packed: a round of ice breakers to kick off the event, a variety of bounce houses, a BBQ, and, of course, a traditional mosh pit to end the night. For many, this was only their first or second time to attend the Spring Fling due to COVID, and everyone was anxious to see what the night would bring.
When the Cate buses finally arrived at Thacher, students were herded to the expansive track field, framed with a view of the Ojai mountains. To start the night, everyone from both Cate and Thacher had the option of grabbing a blue, green, and white canvas t-shirt with the school logos and an assortment of tasty cookies and drinks. Both communities spent time socializing on the track field, and some Cate Students were even lucky enough to get a tour of Thacher’s impressive campus by new and old friends. Something interesting about Thacher is that many of the students own and ride horses, located in stables above campus. Additionally, freshman students have blocked off time to muck, ride, and feed their horses throughout the day. Dinner was served outside Thacher’s dining hall: burgers, hotdogs, fries, salad, and soft serve for dessert. The night ended with an exciting mosh pit and dance where Thacher and Cate students mingled.
Many people in the Cate community had mixed feelings about the Spring Fling. Abby Oke ‘24 positively remarked, “Spring Fling started off pretty mellow, but the night ended with a lot of energy and I actually enjoyed it a lot.” In contrast, Gwen Mctigue ‘26 described the night as, “Mosquito filled.” Still, even though there were minor inconveniences throughout the night, most Cate Students declared the annual Spring Fling an undivided success!
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