There’s been a game going around the Oarsman office. One with no reward, no purpose, and to be honest, very few players. 

I, and many others have lost this game already, but there’s one man who has taken the game to such a serious level that he inspired me and a few others to get one more attempt at this strange underground game. That man’s name is Eli Davidow, an English teacher. 

To understand that game, you must first understand the song that surrounds it. 1986. The exact date, no one knows. The band by the name of Wham! released a song called “Last Christmas.” It is one of the most popular Christmas songs and a personal favorite of mine. 

The game: beginning on Thanksgiving, don’t listen to Wham!’s “Last Christmas” until Christmas has passed. Believe me, it’s harder than it sounds. 

I left class on November 28 with newfound confidence. I was going to win this game, or at the very least try. The rest of the week was successful. I managed to dodge certain playlists and stores with an extra festive vibe. 

I found myself humming the tune on occasion, which I quickly stopped as soon as the chorus began. If you believe that means I’m out of the game, I’ll remind you that I am not the 1980s band Wham!, so I think that means I’m okay. 

Dedication around the office began to falter. Whenever Davidow mentioned the game, at least 5 more students would say that they had lost, and Davidow grew more confident. But as my Journalism teacher grew more confident in his chances of winning, so did I. 

In the chaos of finals week, college applications, and general school mayhem, it was a nice distraction. I was genuinely enjoying the challenge as avoiding such a popular song, especially during this time of year, isn’t exactly easy.

My happiness was short-lived. I was walking through the empty Venice High School with some friends, trying to decide on what to do, when from a distance I heard a familiar tune. Senior Elena Yamata was walking toward me, speaker in hand, Last Christmas blaring. 

As I heard it play, my hands shot up to my ears in an attempt to block it out. A moment of panic filled me, believing I could get away before the song got to play, but as the first words began to ring out, I realized I lost. 

Accepting defeat, I stood unmoving in the middle of Venice High School listening to the song of my failure. I could almost hear Davidow laughing in victory, at least until he announced that he too had lost the game. This begs the question, is it a game that can be won? We’ll have to find out next year.