NORWICH – Students and teachers of the Norwich High School are armoring for the final battle of brawn and witt as Purple Pride Week closes its final chapter tonight.

All week, NHS students have taken part in the annual celebration of school spirit that is Purple Pride Week. The sophomores and juniors who make up the White Team have contested the freshmen and seniors of the Purple Team in a week-long clash to determine who has the most zeal for their future Alma Mater.

This year’s theme, “Under the Big Top,” challenged students to demonstrate their school pride with a series of circus-related competitions, each competition earning the winning team more points. The team with the most points by Friday’s end can declare themselves the victor.

“This is a longstanding Norwich tradition … it's something very near and dear to the whole community's heart,” said Purple Pride Week Coordinator Bethany Stephens, who is now only in her second year of overseeing the annual rivalry.

The action kicked-off Monday with “Strong Man Day” in which students dressed in the apparel of their favorite sports teams and athletes. Monday’s challenge was followed by “Ringling Brothers Day” on Wednesday, “Sideshow Day” Thursday, and the week reaches its grand finale today, “Purple and White Day.”