The 2024-2025 school year started off with an exciting rally and spirit week. Spirit themes for the week were bikers for upperclassmen vs. surfers for underclassmen (Teen Beach Movie Day) on Monday, dress as the first letter of your name on Tuesday, Sauce Day for Wednesday, Jersey Day Thursday, and the annual “Red Out” to get everyone excited for the first home football game.
The rally included many fun activities like the senior-freshman siblings fighting matches in blow up spheres, performance from both of the cheer teams, a teacher versus Academic Decathlon (AcaDeca) trivia game with modern and old-fashioned lingo competition and rock-paper-scissors face offs.
This year, the Varsity Competitive Cheer team did a full competition routine they had performed at the USA Spirit Nationals during the 2023-2024 season. Junior Samantha Roumbanis said, “Preparation for this comp routine took so much time and effort…with all of these new members, we really had to focus more on this routine…performing it in front of the school was so fun.”
Many were shocked to see the gym lights dim during the final rock-paper-scissors when junior Zach Tabibian lost the final round of the game. English teacher Jamie Donohoe approached Tabibian from behind with clippers and shaved his head for the entire school to see. Senior rally leader Refi Briskman said the shaving was planned ahead of time. “We told everyone that [Tabibian] was going to do rock every single time and if [they went] against him they would lose. But then for the final round he was going to do paper [and lose].” She added, “We chose Mr. Donohoe because he was bald and willing to do it.”
Tabibian said, “[Senior] Matthew Sugiyama asked the team if anyone wanted to buzz their head because they were looking for someone…and that was it, I got my head buzzed.”
Briskman thought overall, “many of the activities were well received.” However she doesn’t, “think [they] will include the trivia unless [they] need another thing to do because it was such a pain thinking of questions…but we may save another trivia game for the end of the year.” Briskman thought “people got a kick out of the senior [and freshmen] siblings wrestling.”
