Friday, August 15th, University Preparatory High School hosts the first spirit day and rally of the year! This first rally is particularly special, as incoming students get a taste of the energy and effort put into making UPHS not only a school of education, but also a school full of spirit!

The leadership team greets students and teachers in a music-filled Moro gym, and the high schoolers trickle to their proper grade level seating. Mrs. Block takes the microphone to welcome everyone to the gym, and soon, the well-known panda chant led by Dumasani Mason commences. 

With hype from the crowd building, Dumasani Mason passes the mic to Tylor Inglehart, who leads the competitive grade chant, where each class must make the loudest commotion. Speaking of the grade chant, the seniors won, according to Mr. Curtiss! Booyah! 

The leadership team leads the rest of the rally as they gather students to play various games, leaving the other grade levels to cheer on their friends and classmates. Fiona Briggs leads the game “poison,” which requires students to run from one designated end of the gym to the other while picking up Frisbees to see if they will “survive” or “be poisoned.” The next game, “Jousting,” is led by Lincoln Graves, where students place a plastic cup on a pool noodle and attempt to knock off the cups of their grade competitors. Of course, the rally would not be the same without an intermission by the fantastic dance crew performance to the song “Bring ‘Em Out” by T.I.. After the dance crew finishes their routine, the games continue! Michelle Toomey is on the mic for the next game, “wig snatch,” where opponents put on wigs and compete to take off the wigs of one another without leaving the shrinking boundaries! Another game, also titled “Noodle Race,” is led by Ren Wang, where three students from each grade level must work together to jump rope with a pool noodle to move from one cone to another. A surprise teacher game is led by Jaydonne-Wesley Lewis, where the teacher assistants must spin in a circle and jump over hurdles to and from an original starting point to win for their grade class. Finally, Kareem Al-Ghazali leads the famous game of tug-of-war as the different classes compete against one another. 

As the first rally of the semester comes to a close, remember to reach out to fellow peers to find community and support. UPHS is a unique school, which means many differing personalities and interests, where everyone can find their place. Be resilient, serve the community, ask questions, take accountability, and have integrity. Never forget, once a panda, always a panda.