On March 10, from 5 pm to 7 pm, Ayala hosted the annual 8th grade night to congratulate and show their welcome to the incoming freshman. The 8th graders, parents, and underclassmen congregated around the club tables, casting curious glances to the Ayala club representatives. Similar to last year, booths were hosted outside with events leading up to the rally inside the gym. The entire event is organized by the United Student Body (USB) class, where they worked hard to oversee the success of the event.
Some parts of the night went unexpected, but the USB members were quick to come up with solutions. When the slideshow was having trouble loading, the USB asked the incoming freshman to scream for their class color. Loud and bright-spirited, yellow, as they have decided, became their representative color.
“Everyone was participating really well and from what I’ve seen last year when I was a sophomore, there’s definitely more spirit overall,” USB 8th Grade Night Coordinator Joshua Tian (11) said.
Amongst the booths, sports booths received the most traction with many more interested in joining USB. During the event, the incoming freshmen were guided by the senior USB members for a campus tour. With a new year rolling around, the upperclassmen in the school felt the air of new atmosphere brought forth from the incoming freshmen. Many clubs who were advertising their programs to the incoming freshmen noted the spark in engagement.
“Compared to last year, I liked it a lot better because there were more students who came up to our table and last year I feel like no one did,” Christian Club President Violet Kowalski (12) said. “We had a whole page of people signed up, which is really encouraging and we got people to take pictures with our sign.”
As the USB continued to perfect the annual 8th grade night by adding new elements, Ayala Dance Production (ADP) and the main casts from theater shined their lights, with their eye-catching performances. All of them came together in hospitality and pride to show off the Ayala Bulldog spirit. Coming from the prospective student, many were impressed with the vibrant and diversity of student life in Ayala.
“I was looking forward to seeing all the programs and the club that [Ayala] had to offer and I think it’s really cool,” incoming freshman Delilah Reger said. “They’re showcasing everything and a variety of different activities you can do.”
