Fantasy football leagues are common amongst many people during the NFL season, and the social studies department is taking full advantage of that by creating their own fantasy league and have been competing with each other to win a half day off.

“It’s an NFL survivor league and it’s a competition between the teachers,” world geography teacher Jennifer Nelken said. “You choose one football team to win the game that week and you can never use that team again, and if you lose you’re usually out but they gave us three strikes to lose.”

The friendly competition between teachers is just for fun, although there is a small reward for the winner.

“It’s just fun and you get to know your colleagues better,” Nelken said. “You also get a half day off if you win.”

The department will cover the winning teacher’s classes for half a day but for organizer and department head Jeff Crowe, it’s about something more.

“Building comradery and giving them a little incentive to be a part of a team,” Crowe said. “It gives us something to talk about non work related, and building community.”

The survivor league encourages staff members to participate with colleagues in something enjoyable, without being work related.

“The purpose of it is to just have fun outside of the school day,” Crowe said. “And a lot of us are interested in the NFL.”

While some might go great lengths to look at schedules and records in order to determine their next pick, Nelken resorts to her next best resource.

“I ask friends for help because I don’t know any of it, and I just go with my gut instinct,” Nelken said. “I’m doing very good though, there’s seven of us left and we started with twenty, and I want to win it all.”