The People of the Pacific Club is a leadership class that teaches students about Pacific Islander history, culture, and identity. Teacher Auro Sosi said the club uses the core values of Pacific Islander culture to help students better understand and navigate their identity. The class gives students opportunities to learn through dancing, music, projects, and other activities.

One of the things Sosi enjoys most about the club is being able to teach students Pacific Islander dances. “Mostly getting the opportunity to teach dance to all the students, I think it’s one way we can preserve our culture through the art of music and dance,” Sosi said. Teaching dance allows students to learn more about their culture while also giving them a way to connect with others. For Sosi, sharing music and dance is also an important way to help preserve Pacific Islander culture.

Students who want to be part of the club are required to have good attendance and grades, and the fee to participate is $20. The club meets during the fourth period every A day in the cafeteria, where students learn dances and work on different projects together. Through its activities, the People of the Pacific Club gives students a chance to learn about Pacific Islander history and culture while building leadership skills and connecting with their identity.

West Jordan High School had their 4th annual homecoming pep rally on Thursday, September 17th. There were many amazing performances from many of the clubs. We also got to see our homecoming royalty compete in some competitions tonight. The night started off strong with WJHS’s own Camryn Ridley, singing the national anthem, followed by performances from the marching band and Dance company. The opening performances immediately brought energy into the event and got students ready to see the other performances. The rally then continued with a kids’ race against Jamal, giving the future jags a chance to get involved and have some fun.

 After the race, Black Student Union and WJ cheer each put on amazing performances for the crowd to enjoy before the class performances began. The sophomores performed first, followed by the juniors, and then finally the seniors. Each grade had the chance to show off their school spirit, but in the end, the seniors won the class performance competition. The Dance company came back and performed along with Sources Of Strength, keeping the crowd loud and entertained.

 The next part of the rally included a Michael Jackson performance by Taylor, followed by homecoming royalty watermelon and marshmallow eating competitions. Both of these competitions were very competitive and had the crowd excited through it all, but ultimately Camryn Ridley won the watermelon-eating competition, and Quinn Carter won the marshmallow-eating competition. The rally then moved into a sports recognition section, giving the school an opportunity to recognize its athletes and celebrate their accomplishments. 

The final part of the pep rally featured a performance from People of the Pacific and a yoga ball musical chairs game. For the last performance we had some dances from LIA, which included a dance called Caballo Dorado where everyone was invited onto the field to join in. And ending the night off there was the burning of the WJ sign, followed by a series of fireworks to end the night. With amazing performances, competitions, games, and student organizations all taking part, the pep rally gave students a chance to show their school spirit and support their classmates. From the opening national anthem to the fireworks, the event kept students and crowd involved and created an energetic night for the whole school.