The blacktop was a sea of distinct class colors, advisory-themed posters and handmade props. Despite the hundreds gathered, the silence that loomed over the court was haunting; birds chirped in the distance, the low rumble of the highway hummed on and only a few faint voices whispered. Then, without warning, the seniors ignited into a chant. They created a wall of motion and a potent roar that tore through the silence. They poured every ounce of passion into their voices until their hymn cracked and their lungs burned. As the echoes finally settled distantly in the hills, the faculty stepped forward, the scrappy streamers of the spirit stick gleaming in their hands as they reached outward.
Last Friday, in a show of unmatched volume and school spirit, the seniors arose victorious in the pep rally one last time before graduation.
“With their joint effort, the senior class of 2026 was able to revive the spirit of the Falcons,” class sponsor and AVID teacher Mrs. Jaunita Delgado said.
After three spirit stick wins, the seniors had become a dynasty of sorts. The spirit stick was even jokingly renamed “the senior stick,” as their wins became more frequent. However, as March rolled around, a tragedy occurred: the freshmen were awarded the spirit stick.
“It was a devastating day for the community,” senior Keshav Singh said. “We were faced with only two choices: either we relent and we silence ourselves for the last ever field day or we do our best to go all out to win it and reclaim it for its rightful owners.”
The senior class was so devastated that, in fact, they dedicated one lunch period to a funeral. They dressed in all black and coordinated their speeches and steps. The seniors addressed the school and even held eulogies for the spirit stick.
“The senior class felt robbed by not winning the spirit stick, so they had a funeral to show the death of the spirit, even though the freshman class won it fair and square,” Delgado said.
With the impending reality of graduation fast approaching, as well as the torrent of grief that plagued them, the seniors had no choice. They created shirts that, when combined, spelled a myriad of phrases such as “SENIORS 2026,” “SENIOR STICK” or even “VICTORY.” They went even further and created a unified chant to sound louder. They were unrelenting.
“I was confident that we would win the spirit stick the entire time,” Singh said. “We felt as if we deserved to win, and without that blinding confidence, we wouldn’t have dreamed of going as big as we did.”
The seniors’ self-assurance wasn’t a one-time occurrence, however; their spirit was maintained consistently throughout all four years.
“I am proud of this senior class and the spirit they have shown all year long, heck, all four years,” Delgado said. “They all [the seniors] truly embody and are a wonderful representation of what being a Falcon is all about.”
As the senior class prepares to trade their spirit shirts for graduation caps, the “senior stick” will eventually find its way into new hands. But for the senior class, it wasn’t about winning the senior stick; it was about proving that from the hallway and a half to what the school is today, their voice had the power to shake the hills. For that reason, they leave behind a campus that is a little louder, a little bolder, and undeniably more spirited than they found it.
