Read this weeks newest articles!

Oct 2nd - Oct 6th

WRAPPING IT UP

09/30/23, Amerie Telon

In honor of the end of summer, high school ASB hosted Univeristy Prep's first event of this school year, End of Summer Splash! Along with that, we got to enjoy spirit week. Our team sent a survey to the students and teachers regarding what their favorite day was of that week. We got 323 responses!!!

Question 1- What was your favorite day?

323 responses

End of Summer Splash Promises Big Sales for U.P. Clubs and Teams

09/25/2023, Dani Jackman

University Preparatory School hosted its first event of the school year, End of Summer Splash, on the 22nd of September to say goodbye to summer and hello to the 2023 fall season.

Clubs and sports teams sold homemade treats and prizes to crowds of students that night in hopes of collecting big profits for their causes. Some clubs made meals upon order, delivering delicious, authentic snacks for just a couple of tickets. Others, like the Asian American Pacific Islander (or AAPI) club, sold pre-made treats, like spam musubi.

Spam musubi was created by Barbara Funamura, a Japanese-American resident of Hawaii in the 1940s. On Friday the 22nd, the meal resonated with pride the Asian American Pacific Islander culture and heritage of many of the club's members.

Stella Rynders, a Junior member of the AAPI club, recalls why she loves the club so much. "It's great," she says as she addresses a transaction at her booth with a smile on her face. "I wish people would buy more of the other things we have, but overall I think things are going really well. It's fun getting to sell with my friends."

Madison Porter, Senior, shows off her cake-pop she bought from Rise Club /Dani Jackman

In another booth just on the other side of the quad, U.P. Girls High School Soccer sold duritos in celebration of some of the team members' Hispanic origins. Duritos, or duros, are a popular Mexican snack food that consists of puffed wheat crackers often flavored with chili and lemon flavorings. Upperclassmen Jazmine Villarreal and Aramari Gonzalez worked the booth at 5 p.m. When Jazmine was asked if she was selling as much as she'd hoped to, she stated, "No, but we're selling."

Her booth was seated to the left of Debate Club's, who's advisor, Mr. Lee, was also selling Duritos but at a discounted price. "I feel cheated," she says about the mix up. "Debate Club is definitely going to come out on top because (Mr. Lee) is giving extra credit to people who buy from him."

Regardless, most clubs, including Girls Soccer, managed to sell out before the events end. Now, they plan for the next event in hopes of even more success.

/Joanna Vance

End of Summer Splash: The Club Shift Experience

09/25/32, Joseline Tanchez

On September 22, 2023, End of Summer Splash was held in the quad from 4:30PM to 7:30PM. Many clubs set up stands to sell fun foods or small trinkets. Students covered shifts which created many fun and new experiences for them to remember.

It was a very memorable time for those who attended; End of Summer splash was a lively event filled with laughter and pure energy! All over there were clubs working together to make the most amount of sales possible.. Those that took a shift at their club stalls learned the positives and negatives of their job. "I think the best part was that I was able to learn a lot about how to organize situations when you have a big crowd or line, at the same time there was zero communication because people would not show up to shifts and I had to cover them," says Isabella Kuo (pictured right), 10, who covered class of '26’s booth.

Another sophomore, Eunsol Han says, "It was very fun and exciting, I got to know many people and overall, it was a very positive experience for me!"

Covering shifts for clubs was an amazing roller coaster of emotions and End of Summer Splash was something special to remember for everyone who went. It provided students the opportunity to explore a variety of clubs and try out all sorts of fun things clubs had to offer. Moments like that always leave lingering thoughts and feelings in students, so what else did they think?

/Josline Tanchez

There were a few moments in the shifts that included sitting around or dealing with messes. One Freshman student, Blake Burton, says "I didn't like that all I could do was sit around." A student from earlier, Eunsol Han, who covered a different shift from another club says, "My least favorite was having to clean up and leave."

At the End of Summer Splash, both participants and club-workers felt satisfied with the outcome of the event. It was a first-time experience for some and an additional memory of joy for others. The club-shift experience was something new to many, also one many recommend. If you ever take it upon yourself to try it out, be prepared for the ups and downs!

End of Summer Splash: Recap

09/25/23, Bryanna Villalpando

University preparatory hosted its annual End of summer splash event to kick off the start of fall. End of summer splash is an event in which sports teams, clubs, and their advisers sell items in order to fundraise.

Most students like to stay till the end of the night when the dancing starts to pick up, but if you’re here for the food better get here early so you don’t miss out on supporting your favorite clubs. “End of summer splash was really cool, I liked the fact that light sticks were sold and it made dancing more lively.” Rachelle Meza 12 grade said she was one of the many students who helped fundraise for Rise club. The group sold cake pops and sold out rather quickly, Rachelle even continued to say that they had sold out only 30 minutes into the event. The cake pops had designs or faces made by Rachelle herself, Kiara Esqudero, Nathan Nguyen, Julian Neri, Emilee Thornton, Paris, Salma Casarez, and Valerie Romero and many more of the senior class.

/Rocky Rodriguez , Senior

Cake pops sold by U.P.'s Rise Club

/Alisa Rajah , Senior

A photo of Alex Padgett (Senior) on the dance floor with a light up sword and glasses from U.P.'s Fencing Club

Junior Kimberly Jimenez said; “End of summer splash was pretty fun, it was better than I thought it would be. I worked one shift for cheer and it went by quickly, so it wasn’t hard.” Cheer also had a successful night selling out of their fresas con crema.

Mr.Lee even had his 12th graders running to sell out his debate club’s Duritos for a chance to land extra credit after a test tanked their grades.

And as the night died out, when everyone was full of all the snacks they bought to support their friends clubs or even to try something new everyone had moved to the dance floor. They danced around to dances like “El Caballo Dorado” and “Cha cha slide.” In an interview with Abby Padgett, freshman, she said that the most memorable take away from End of summer splash was when Justin Bieber's hit song from 2010 "Baby" started playing and how excited cross country got when you bought bubbles from them.

When asked, the only thing people wish is that End of summer splash lasted longer or they had more time to dance with their friends. But much like when summer vacation ends, we always wish it lasted longer.

The Weekly Wrap

09/30/23, Naba Kazmi

/Photo Credit-Joanna Vance

In the shining new school year, University Preparatory held its first few school events from September 18th to September 22nd, and they were a spectacle for many. Each day of the week prompted specific themes for which students were encouraged to dress up. On Monday, students were adorned with interesting hats and sunglasses. Tuesday saw Barbies and Kens, inspired by the popular movie of the summer. Then, on Wednesday, a classic of comfortable dress day returned. Thursday had students sporting Hawaiian T-shirts, and lastly, Friday was Color-by-Grade Day.

For the themes of each day, students across multiple grades say that Comfy Day was their favorite, followed closely by Barbie Tuesday. Most people also said that they participated in Comfy Day along with Class Color Day. When asked what theme they would have chosen, there were scattered responses but mostly everyone said classic favorites from elementary school, such as Twin Day, Jersey Day, Pajama Day, Disney Day. Multiple students also agree that actively engaging in this widespread event proved to be difficult because of the dress code. Responses state that the rules were oddly specific and weren't all that clear. One anonymous middle-school student replies, "I think the dress code could be lighter. Many students don't participate because the outfits have to strictly follow the dress code which [can] sometimes be too restricting." Another student said, "The dress code should have been more clear."

End of Summer Splash was the big event on Friday that many students and staff were looking forward to. This day had clubs and sport teams selling baked goods, snacks, and other items to students enjoying the scene. The event seems to have harbored good results and students who were present had a nice experience. Among these students was freshman Mariana Serrano, who hadn't been to Summer Splash in a while. "I decided to give it a shot this year because a few of my friends had to go to work booths there. I don't regret it since it was a ton of fun! I bought more treats than I can count. I was caught up with looking at everything and walking around." One student who chose to stay anonymous stated, "I had a good time with my friends there, but had to leave early, so I didn't get the full experience. Still, it was fun." End of Summer Splash was a success as it celebrated the fading of summer and the crisp arrival of fall.

Another event on Friday showcased the year's first rally that welcomed everyone for a fun and informative experience in the gym. Decorations consisted of balloons that created a tropical environment with walls having been decorated with a beach scene. Once each grade had settled into their seats, some announcements occurred and then games proceeded with booming music. "I liked the decorations and the games were interesting to watch, although the game where they placed dots and tried to put them in the correct place looked like it confused the players and the audience," says Atlas Rosas, who sat through the rally. They further go on to state, "I liked how they began the entire thing by throwing candy into our hands."

This week was full of promising moments and bustling activity that defined the school experience for many attending University Preparatory.

Middle School Pep-Rally Recap

09/25/23, Kayla Garcia

The End of Summer Splash pep rally on Friday kicked off a great year of activity. Seventh graders had their first rally at UP, and eighth graders worked hard to keep their spirits on top. ASB held the event in the gym, having lots of music, games, and surprise appearances. It prepared everyone for the fun that was to come later that night at End of Summer Splash. Many people had their assumptions about the rally beforehand. Eliana Adu Gyamfi, 7, thought it was about “information on how to behave at End of Summer Splash”. Meanwhile, Ethan Tran, 7, when asked what might be at the rally said, “Cheerleaders, like they’ll dance”. Those ideas were tested when the event truly started.

Bubbles filled the entrances, and the rally began by throwing out candy and balloons to everyone in the stands. There were lots of smiley faces and curiosity throughout the crowd. U.P.'s very own mascot, the jaguar, made a comeback this year as well as a new character. Sharky, the shark that has been out at lunch the past month, made an appearance and got the crowd ramped up.

As the first interactive activity, the softball and baseball teams went head-to-head in musical chairs. The baseball team had a losing streak but redeemed themselves when Jesse Marquez, 7, won the game in a tight squeeze.

Staff members were then asked up to play and the crowd went wild. Ms. Hatcher was dragged out and played along with them. She and others enjoyed dancing around and fighting for their seats. It got so intense that Mr. Woods ended up on the floor!

Teachers play musical chairs at the Middle School Pep-Rally

/Joanna Vance

By the end of the game, the Spanish teacher, Mr. Gonzalez, won and carried his chair over his head like a trophy.

Cheer also made an appearance, with sprint chants and dancing. Some people were inspired to become a cheerleader themselves in the future.

The next game played was Hungry Hippos, seventh v. eighth. While on scooters and pushed by a partner standing, the team will have to collect as many balls on the ground as possible. The eighth graders scored another win with 132 balls collected, beating second place by 22!

The rally came to an end and the energy was still high. Laughter and excitement could still be heard on the way back to class. Kids became more excited for the Splash and experienced their first pep rally- a whole new world.

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