As soon as I arrived on campus on Aug. 21, the school spirit was evident, with ASB students handing out free leis like they were candy. Students were adorned in their tackiest Hawaiian shirts, conveying the trademark Aloha Summer theme. It was clear that getting any work done in first block was not going to be an easy task, as almost every student was fidgeting with excitement.

Finally, 9:00 a.m. rolled around, and everyone spilled out of classrooms, piling into the gym.

Upon entrance, I could hear music blaring from the giant speakers, feeling the drum beat all around me, as each class navigated to their assigned section. The gym was decorated perfectly for the theme, with a giant beach screen as the background and every ASB participant dressed for the occasion.

Soon enough, the rally began. The Voices of Whitney, Gabe Worthington and Chris Hermansky, commanded the crowd effectively, and consistently kept them in order while still maintaining the spirit of the event.

Students competed in three games, matching class against class, with every section screaming, stomping and chanting for their grade.

The first game played involved students maneuvering themselves around in huge, inflatable balls, while trying to play soccer. Every time someone fell, the gym filled with laughter at their expense. The object of the second game was to retrieve as many barbies as possible from the “ocean”, while riding a belly board. It was difficult to view this from the stands, as everyone was standing up and the participants were laying down, but still entertaining nonetheless. Then came the final game of the rally, where students tried to knock each other off of their ball by smacking one another with foam noodles.

Throughout the rally, the cheerleaders, dance team, and even the teachers all performed Aloha Summer dance routines. Both the teams were spot-on as always, with excellent timing and execution. Seeing teachers such as Ms. Kuehn, Mr. Robin, and Mrs. Atlas dancing, making a joke out of themselves, and having fun doing it is always enjoyable.

While the freshmen were no doubt in awe of their first rally, the upper classes never stopped cheering. In the end, it was the juniors who took the honor of winning the first rally of the year.

It was clear that the ASB team had put a lot of effort into our first rally, and it paid off. The theme was executed flawlessly, tying into every game and dance of the event. The student body did not disappoint either, bringing in a tremendous amount of pride for their new grade. Although it ended fifteen minutes early, enough time was still allotted for each segment of the rally. Except I’m sure many people would have enjoyed those extra minutes to cheer for their class.

The bar is going to be set very high for upcoming rallies this year.

by HALEY BALLESTIN