With the question "Do you like your class color?", there are some who liked their colors, saying, "Why? Because its green and like its not like a bad color like yellow for seventh grade." said by ninth grader Ximena Mauricio. Then there were those who had to make last minute decisions for the upcoming day like our fellow seventh grader Kya Stroughter, "My sister works at Walmart, so she had to get a shirt at 12 o clock in the morning and like throw it up my door so I can get it." Many also agree that maybe a new spirit day should be added to our traditional spirit weeks. With sophomore Aleen Guido Montoya saying, "We could dress up as our childhood shows, that'll be funny." But if there's something that many of us could agree on, especially for those that have been attending this school for awhile now. 

Randy Chajon and Kya Stroughter dress in their class colors for Color Day    /Morgan Rodriguez 

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. 

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!

 /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 

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.