Students, alumni sweep staff during 'Charter Feud' gameshow challenge

COEUR d'ALENE — If the Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy mascot wasn't the Panther, would it be a penguin? A nerd? A weasel? An owl? Tears?

“A unicorn?” language arts teacher Heather Solsvik guessed.

“No,” Vice Principal Aaron Lippy, emcee, said as students laughed. “K, guys, this is 'Charter Feud,' we need to think something Charter-ish."

No. 1 on the list was "bulldog," guessed by senior George Lavy. No. 2 on the list was "eagle," guessed by Principal Dan Nicklay, and No. 7 on the list was "bookworm." Other answers that would have been accepted included "evil genius" or "pirate."

In another round of "Charter Feud," held in the school cafeteria Friday at lunchtime, it was asked what career Nicklay should pursue after retirement — a professional golfer, substitute teacher, professional fisherman, jail warden?

"I'm thinking maybe supermodel," Nicklay answered as students in the audience howled with laughter.

The student and alumni team won the 2025 game of "Charter Feud" by a landslide with 269 points to 14 scored by the staff team. On the student/alumni team were seniors Sam Poncato, Abi Johnson and George Lavy; Class of 2006 Charter graduate and present board member Adam Johnson; and 2023 graduate Julian Conigliaro. Representing Charter staff were special guest Bill Proser, founder of Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy; Solsvik; Nicklay; fine arts teacher Dana Fleming; and math teacher Rob Bass.

The game of "Charter Feud," a Charter version of "Family Feud," was played at the end of College Spirit Week.

"At our school, everything needs to have an educational purpose, even the fun activities, so this was created out of a desire to have some fun at the end of the school year while celebrating and highlighting the accomplishments of our seniors," said counselor Julie Wasson, who served as scorekeeper.

The main event of College Spirit Week is Senior Signing Day, which offers photo opportunities for seniors to show their commitment to the colleges they will attend after graduation, much like athletic signings.

In the first year of the festivities, Charter staff sponsored one $500 scholarship, which was given away to one senior who participated in the signing photo. Wasson said about 40 students participated that first year, in a class of 63.

"It's grown every year, in participation and giving," she said.

Last year, participation was nearly 100% from college-bound seniors and five $500 scholarships were given away, two of which were sponsored by local banks, two sponsored by the Charter Parent Organization and the staff-sponsored scholarship.

"This year, we have 100% of our college-bound seniors participating," she said.

In terms of school pride, Wasson said students enjoy College Spirit Week, if for no other reason than to show off their college swag and celebrate the places they're interested in studying or where their parents went to college.

"It's been fun to create a schoolwide event that everyone can enjoy," she said. "I like to think that Spirit Week gets the graduation party started. Our students work so hard all year, but our seniors especially so. It's nice to really celebrate them and send them off on a high note."

For this year's senior prank, the seniors turned the school into a summer camp, camped in tents in the parking lot and filled the school with summer gear, such as inflated innertubes.

Seniors Shaelyn Oxford and Campbell Hancock had front row seats to the "Charter Feud" as they watched from one of the filled innertubes.

"It was very exciting," Shaelyn said, laughing. "The answers they gave were really funny."

"I thought it was great," Campbell said, also in stitches.

"I'm happy that us seniors were able to come through and finish out our prank day with a bang," Johnson said after the game concluded.

    Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy language arts teacher Heather Solsvik wagers a guess Friday during a round of "Charter Feud," Charter's version of "Family Feud" where grads and students compete against staff. The students and alumni won by a landslide, scoring 269 points to the 14 scored by the staff team.
  

    Students have a blast watching their peers go head-to-head with staff Friday during "Charter Feud" at Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy. The gameshow event was one of the culminating activities of College Spirit Week.
  

    Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy senior George Lavy is triumphant after beating Principal Dan Nicklay during a buzzer session Friday as they play "Charter Feud."