Everybody knows the feeling when the assembly is about to end and you just think about what you are going to do once you get let out of school as you slowly start to get excited; then, Omar gets up onto the stage, and a wave of anxiety hits your heart as you hear him say the words, “It’s time for Minute-to-Win-It.” Your heart starts pounding so loud you can hear it in your ears. You wait for him to pull out his list of names, and the only thing you can do is pray to God that your name is not on that list. Another wave of anxiety hits you when he starts reading the first name, ”xxxx.” “Phew, it wasn’t me,” you think, and you cheer for the person who was chosen as they slowly and sadly walk onto the stage. Then you remember two people have to get chosen; as you feel the tears start to swell in your eyes, you hear Omar start to speak the second name, “xxxx.” “IT WASN’T ME!” You cheer so happily that you cry anyway; however, you start to feel sympathy for the two students chosen from your grade as you see them trying their hardest in the challenge. Even though they are probably really embarrassed, they don’t want to let down their peers, so they try really hard and you feel bad; however, you are still happy that you were not chosen. I think that this is a feeling we can all relate to, except for those who did get chosen.

Many people even try to “run and hide” from this process. Izzy Utgaard talks about how many people try to skip the choosing period. She says, “I’ve seen people go to the ‘bathroom’ so that they won’t be there when the contestants for Minute-to-Win-It are chosen.” This shows how many people dislike this type of activity where you aren’t able to know who will get chosen. Chloe Vezina also adds to this statement by saying, “ I wish we at least had a heads-up before even the assembly.” Many students also feel a similar way when asked about Minute-to-Win-It. A popular sentiment was that the idea seems fun but the idea of being randomly chosen in front of your peers can be quite embarrassing. Now they have moved to a new system allowing students to opt out of the games; however, many people have said that they were chosen even if they opted out. Even though this could be because that student made a mistake in the process of opting out, they said that they wish they had never “opted in” at the beginning of the school year. However, it’s important to recognize that there are some pros to unplanned games such as the thrill that some people experience, whether that is excitement or embarrassment. Unplanned games also allow people who do not normally participate in activities to try them out.  

Although many students dislike being randomly selected as a contestants in these BOTC events, most don't have this type of feeling toward planned activities such as the basketball tournament or the music video. In these types of “planned” activities, students can rest at ease without worrying if they will unexpectedly be picked to play in Battle of the Classes. However, a con that can apply to planned games is that students who want to try participating but are too timid to ask may not get a chance to play in the Battle of the Classes games. Even though there are some cons, many students have called these games fun, unlike Minute-to-Win-It, which was often described as tormenting. So we ask, is Minute-to-Win-It worth it? Well, that matter is debatable. It generally depends on how invested that student is in “school spirit” activities.

In conclusion, most people liked the “planned” games more than being randomly picked. Even though the Minute-to-Win-It system has changed, it still has some minor issues to be fixed. Students agree that even though planned games are not as stressful, planned games still don’t push hesitant students to participate. While unplanned games may seem more stressful at the moment, students who have not had the chance to participate will be given an opportunity to try them out, and, even if they may feel embarrassed at that moment, they can always look back at the time they were called up on stage to play and win their grade some BOTC points.