New ASB Methods to Promote Spirit

DENISE TIEU
News Editor
SHELLEY LIN
Staff Writer

Blue and gold streamers covered the grounds of AHS on Jan. 17. Paper snowmen and snowflakes adorned the campus, unperturbed by the warm, California sun. AHS was decorated with winter spirit and school colors for the 2014 Winter Pep Rally, hosted by ASB.

“Pep rallies have always been a great way to bring out school pride and unity,” Sophomore Council President Amy Than said.

To start off the Winter Pep Rally, ASB congregated at the Quad during the announcements of the winter sports. Later on, each winter sport gave a brief speech between performances from Cheer, Drill and Orchesis. Lastly, the Mighty Moor Marching Band (MMMB) led the parade with the Cheer and dance teams to Third Street, where the All-Male Dance Team performed. Afterwards, the MMMB marched around the school and finished the parade in the Quad.

“This is my first year at [AHS] and I thought the Winter Pep Rally and school spirit was much bigger than at my previous school. The performances and the marching band made the pep rally really enjoyable,” sophomore Melody Luo said.

Along with the effort to promote school spirit throughout the student body, ASB plans to hold class spirit weeks. Each class will have its own spirit week that will be dedicated to representing their respective year with games and/or performances.

“This idea of each class having an individual spirit week surfaced because ASB really wants AHS students to take pride in their graduating class,” Than said. “At the end of the day, it’s our peers that inspire us and push us to make our high school lives as fulfilling as possible. We want them to cherish the memories we all have shared at AHS as one class.”

The class spirit week will start off with sophomores on Feb. 3 and will be followed by the junior, senior and freshman weeks.
“Class weeks are designed by their class council, which generally promotes the spirit of the class,” sophomore representative Kylileo Zhong said. “[The class councils] also came up with games to compete with the other classes that could further tighten our relationship.”

ASB strives for more school spirit and more students to participate in school activities such as pep rallies, sports and clubs by making posters, putting up fliers, and planning pep rally activities.

“It’s usually really fun bonding with everyone while making dozens of posters to promote Pep. ASB is practically a family, which makes the school pride so genuine,” Than said.