On February 16, Edison High’s Student Council hosted its annual Dodgeball for Charity event. Thirteen teams of six to nine players each, many wearing matching clothing items, arrived in the Frank N. Cangelosi Gymnasium to sign in and hype one another up for the evening. Six players were allowed on one side of the court at a time, so extra members were often seen yelling on the sidelines, ensuring every stray ball got placed in the hands of their teammates.
The night followed a double-elimination style tournament, in which victorious teams could advance to the upper bracket. If they lost one game, they had the opportunity to continue competing in the lower bracket. In total, the event raised $450 for the New Jersey Association of Student Councils (NJASC), which currently contributes its funds to Hugs for Brady, an organization dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer.
The contest persisted through the evening, involving plenty of excitement, blown whistles, and even cones thrown. Eventually, the final match came down to a contest between “Team OO,” consisting of players Darren Tirado ‘26, Braydon Grier ‘26, Anthony Calantoni ‘25, Dmani Stephens ‘26, Elijah Pavez ‘26, and Dominic Innocenti ‘26, up against “Late Registration,” consisting of players Kyel Martinez ‘24, Aidan Carter ‘24, Remy Bethea ‘24, Dedrick Harvey ‘25, Gideon Osiemo ‘24, Theodore Oyulu ‘23, and Nyekir Eato ‘25. In the end, Team OO claimed victory, winning a $50 Applebee’s gift card.
The event allowed students to take a break from school while being stress-free, and have fun while creating new memories.
“I had an amazing time at Dodgeball night,” said Mahesh Jonnalagada ‘26 of “Border Patrol.” “Being able to play a unique sport and both bond with and verse some of my friends was a great experience.”
Students enjoyed the fierce competition between teams and the overall ambiance of the event. The desire to win rounds to be deemed the victorious team and win the Applebee’s gift card fostered a lively atmosphere.
“I liked the intensity of it,” said Rahul Katragadda ‘24 of the “Temu Employees.”
Individual teams had specific strategies and tactics to avoid getting hit. Some teams focused on offense and eliminating players as efficiently as possible.
“Our strategy was to try and hit people when they walked up to get the balls,” said Abraham Johnson ‘26 of the “Ball Warriors.”
Other teams like Border Patrol emphasized a more physical and defensive tactic.
“The strategy going into this was to stay quick on our feet and to throw the ball with as much power and speed we could,” said Jonnalgada.
Student Council Advisor Mr. James Napoli reflected fondly upon the long-standing tradition of this charity event.
“This has been a tradition at Edison High for many years now, so the process of setting up the brackets and the gym tend to run themselves,” said Napoli. The event brought together the Edison High community for a memorable night and helped raise money for a worthy cause.
