Campolindo students participated in a March Madness themed rally on March 25. Students gathered in the big gym, sat organized by grade level, and got to engage in and observe spirited activities.

The event was the 1st indoor rally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, so it came with lots of anticipation and excitement.

“I was definitely super excited to have a big indoor event again. Over the last 2 years, we haven’t really been able to [have indoor events] like this so it was nice to be able to do that,” noted freshman Alexis Awad.

The event lasted 30 minutes during the last part of academy, and included a comedic video starring the 3 rally leaders – seniors Emma Rorabaugh, Jack Beaty, and Max Rittman. They were also accompanied with guest appearances by student athletes. The video humorously documented the experiences that came along with the pandemic over the past 2 years, and showed students what it was like preparing for the 1st rally in such a long time.

Leadership member freshman Maggie Mandell said, “It was definitely fun getting to watch the video, especially knowing how much time was put into preparing for the rally. It was cool to see [the seniors] remember what happened at the last rally in [their] sophomore year. I think the video was really well done, and I loved the way we connected the video to the rest of the rally.”

After the video, a short, but high energy performance was put on by Campolindo’s sideline cheer team, who performed stunts, choreography, and engaged the crowd in classic Cougar chants. A game of jeopardy was played by Campolindo’s Speech and Debate group and Aca Deca.

“I liked the cheerleading [performance] a lot. It’s been a while since we’ve had a football game or that kind of sporting event, so it was cool getting to see them perform for so many people again,” said Awad.

To wrap up the event, a game of basketball was played by Campolindo students against members of the staff. Playing for the staff were teachers Jamie Donohoe, Steven Dyer, and Allie Tarantino. On the student side were senior basketball players Aidan Mahaney, Matt Radell, and Natalie Barkey. Dyer made some pivotal shots such as a deep game winning 3 point shot right as the buzzer sounded. Students from all grades cheered as the ball swished into the basket, allowing the staff to take the win.

Junior Lauren Koob said, “I thought it was great how [the rally] included staff, and featured teachers having fun with the students.”

After so much time apart, the rally served as an event to bring everybody together. “[The rally] was really exciting because we haven’t had one in so long. Just seeing everybody together for basically the first time in two years was really nice,” noted Koob.