It’s a party for the whole Lawrence High community.

For 33 years the Lawrence High mud volleyball tournament has been a place where 500 or more students, staff and parents gather at Broken Arrow Park to round out the year.

Jo Huntsinger, the mud volleyball coordinator, works with Lawrence High organizations and staff to run the tournament. The preparation for the tournament begins right after winter break. The first step is getting permission from the Wakarusa Fire Department, Lawrence Fire Department and the city’s maintenance department.

“I go for the land first,” Huntsinger said. “And if he says yes, then I go to the firefighters.”

Huntsinger then begins to work with Lions Pride and Student Council. Lions Pride and volunteer parents work to supply food and drinks for the tournament. For Huntsinger, Lions Pride’s work isn’t what she worries about.

“It’s like this well-oiled machine now. There’s not a whole lot of stress on my part anymore,” Huntsinger said. “The stress is StuCo and not really understanding the responsibility that they’ve taken on.”

Senior Megah Shah, who leads StuCo’s involvement with mud volleyball, says StuCo’s main job is finding volunteers and making Ms. Huntsinger’s job easier.

“[The hardest part] is really just keeping everything in order because there’s so many people that do it,” Shah said. “It’s such a big tradition you don’t want to mess it up.”

StuCo is also responsible for ensuring the mud courts are safe for those playing. All StuCo members walk through the mud before the games begin, checking for any trash or sharp objects.

“It’s hard to walk through the mud at 7:30 in the morning,” junior Adam Miles said. “And last year it was very cold and my feet were numb, so it was a little hard to find rocks and things.”

Cold weather makes mud volleyball preparation harder and is another stressor for Ms. Huntsinger. Mud cant be rescheduled because of how much work it is  and it keeps those who lose first from staying and cheering others on.

“I don’t want them to lose and go home,” Huntsinger said. “I want them to lose, get a little cleaned up, have fun with their friends, play frisbee, eat a hot dog and just hang out with their group.”