The long-awaited Mercy Day had finally arrived! Mercy Day celebrations were filled with bonds of friendship, along with some powerful Mercy Spirit that was present even to the newest of Monarchs. On day one of the Mercy Day activities, after proudly and joyfully singing the Alma Mater and “Go Make a Difference,” Gwynedd students truly did make a difference in the world by making beaded bracelets of kindness for the Kellan Ford Foundation. The girls really put their creativity into this activity by putting together these colorful bracelets that included words such as “kindness,” “love,” and “happiness”. The 195^th anniversary of Mercy Day also included the aspect of education. Gwynedd students gathered in the Performing Arts Center to learn about Catherine McAuley’s powerful story and vision of faith in serving the neighbor. A group of Gwynedd students and faculty members shared an inspirational story of their trip to Baggot Street in Ireland over the summer.

On the second day of Mercy Day, students dressed down in their red and yellow tie-dyed T-shirts written with unique phrases such as “Fresher Than Ever” for the freshmen, “Soph Pretzels: 25 Cents” for the sophomores, and “Disney Junior” or “Juniors Jewels” for the juniors. The day began with an exciting presentation led by the Spirit Club seniors in the PAC; it included a hilarious video of Gwynedd faculty members participating in the “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts” challenge with questions being asked about Gwynedd history and fun facts. The audience was absolutely roaring with laughter as they watched video clips of teachers eating foods such as a 1000-year-old duck egg or thick water. Spirit Club also presented an “Evolution of Dance” performance, as they danced to songs from over the decades. Gwynedd girls cheerfully sang, “It’s a party in the GMA!” Following these presentations were games of kickball at the sports field, dodgeball in the gym, and two grades at a time competing in Scattegories, cup stacking, and trivia in the PAC. Finally, the day concluded with rounds of tug of war between students and teachers. The final champions were the seniors, this year the 23NOIRS. The Mercy Spirit was prevalent in everyone through all of this team bonding and cheering on of one another. Mercy Day is the most special tradition at Gwynedd, and the girls at the Academy are so beyond grateful to get to experience it all.