Groovy Shoes has become one of NC's largest events of the year. North Central's most recent victory was Spooky Shoes 2018. NC's basketball swept Shadle, and won two out of the three quarters of the spirit competition. NC took the four-peat using a clever array of homemade props, tarps, and an overwhelming amount of school spirit. This is the time of year that every kid can feel a part of their school, and celebrating North Central, win or lose, has become a part of the NC tradition. NC is notable for its theater department since their productions consist of student made sets, student designed lights, professional tickets and programs, and dedicated ushers. Every three years, North Central holds the tradition of putting on a massive, student written musical called "The Doll Shop". This tradition was created in 1930 by Elsa Pinkham, who believed that any North Central student who wishes to be in a play can be a part of this show. It was such a huge success, that it continued to be produced every other year until 1958. After Miss Pinkham retired, Lucile Lill carried on the tradition for a short time but soon ended it because she believed she was more of a "coach than a choreographer". Olin Rice, a North Central Choral/Orchestra Director for many years, wrote many songs just for "The Doll Shop." "The Doll Shop" was revived in 1984 by drama teacher, Tom Armitage. Since "The Doll Shop" is student written, the story is different every three years; for instance, in 1999, it was about the last Doll Shop of the 20th Century. In 2002, it was a sequel to the 1999 show, about the first Doll Shop 21st Century. In 2005, it was a spoof of the current reality TV shows. In 2008, it was North Central's 100th birthday, so "The Doll Shop" was one of the centennial events. In 2011, the show took on a deeper meaning; it was a reflection on the current society. The show itself was about the old classic dolls like Raggedy Ann, played by Allison Ruster, and Raggedy Andy AKA Bandy, played by Dustin Roberts, that were being taken out by the newer action figure dolls led by the evil new Barbie, Electronica, played by Brianna Butler. "Audience members would come up to me and tell me that they were amazed with the sheer size of the cast", said Kellie Paulsen, an usher for the 2011 "The Doll Shop" in our interview, and its no exaggeration.