Every Monday morning meeting, Student Government Association president Larry Zhan ‘25 introduces a new Estimation Game, where a faculty member takes on a fun challenge. Students are then tasked with guessing the closest estimate to the test’s result—be it a time, a number of juggles or even an amount of presidents a teacher can name.
Over the course of the week, hundreds of guesses are submitted. By Friday’s morning meeting, students and staff alike eagerly await the resulting video, featuring an esteemed faculty member and host Eddie McGettigan ‘25. But beyond the playful humor of McGettigan and Zhan’s Monday announcement, who is the unsung hero behind these works of digital media?
“One day during summer soccer practice, Larry pitched the idea of making a video with Sr. Galeano,” Nathan Richards ‘25 said. “He suggested that I get one of my friends on the mic, so I called up Eddie, and the rest is history.”
During Friday’s video, Richards can be found sitting at his seat in the Arts Center, humbly enjoying the reactions of his peers and teachers. Despite this, few know of the time and effort it takes to craft a successful Estimation Game film.
“It can take upwards of ten hours a week to create a video,” Richards said. “But it’s not really a burden–it’s more of a privilege. Sharing a piece of work with GA every Friday morning and then seeing their reactions is really rewarding.”
GA’s faculty and students alike can be found laughing and sharing a moment of connection through the work that Zhan, McGettigan, and Richards produce. Like Richards said, it’s not just about the videos, but also about bringing the GA community together.
Zhan and McGettigan both expressed their love and appreciation of the Estimation Game, owing its success to the commitment of Richards.
“Watching the final product change so much from the original because of the great work that Nate does every week is always a treat,” McGettigan said. “The Estimation Game as a whole would not work if it were not for him.”
While the game’s success hinges on the hard work and creativity of the team, each member has their own favorite part of the process. From the initial brainstorming to the final reveal on Friday, every step adds to the magic of the Estimation Game.
“To be honest, I love all of it,” Richards said. “Coming up with the questions and the ideas, trimming it, lining it up, putting the music in, seeing how I can make it interesting. Other than putting in the captions, I really enjoy the editing process.”
McGettigan, on the other hand, thrives on the humor and energy of hosting, effortlessly showing his natural talent to make others laugh. His charisma ensures that the audience is engaged and entertained every week.
“I think it’s really fun to see what jokes land,” McGettigan said. “Seeing the different talents and knowledge that all of our teachers have is also really cool.”
For Zhan, the thrill lies in those early Friday mornings, when the culmination of a week’s work finally comes to life.
“I think the best part is getting to see people laugh and smile at morning meetings, and knowing that we were able to make peoples’ day just a little bit brighter,” Zhan said.
Each member’s unique contribution and passion for the Estimation Game have turned it into a cherished part of GA’s culture, uniting the community one guess at a time.