LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – On Sept. 15, Los Alamitos High School hosted its first assembly in the recently constructed gymnasium. After its feature on CBS News last Friday, the gym brought on much more excitement as locos and locals came together to kick off Homecoming week. 

With collapsible bleachers that can be pulled down to create a one-court gym, the Griffin Center was able to provide a significantly larger space for students to sit. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were directed to different spots in the gym based on their grade level. 

This is a noticeable improvement from years past, where students fought for space to cram together on the bleachers while others made space on the gym floor and aisles. In the past, the Associated Student Body would host two assemblies, dividing students by who their third-period teacher was due to the lack of space. This random pairing would often leave students without friends for the assembly. This year, students being able to sit with their friends seemed to bring a boost in student spirit.

The assembly kicked off with high-energy entrances from the fall sports teams. One by one, the teams walked out,  addressing the crowd and encouraging students to come and support their upcoming games.

Following the sports teams, LAHS SoundFx delivered a powerful performance of the national anthem. Their vocals captivated the entire gym.

Next up was the Advanced Dance team, dressed in matching navy blue United States shirts and black pants. Their hip-hop routine featured impressive tricks and sharp moves, leaving the crowd cheering.

“(I was) filled with excitement and energy,” said Advanced Dance member Dasha Fallon, “It was nice seeing everyone in the same room supporting one another.”

However, the Advanced Dance girls weren’t the only Griffins showing off their moves; the varsity football team and varsity song cheerleaders also performed their annual joint routine, incorporating difficult lifts and popular dances.

“It was a lot of work, especially on days we had to stay later than usual after football practice. It felt great to be part of it with the cheerleaders, and to overall have good school spirit,” said Johnny Howze, LAHS varsity football player.

ASB also led two interactive games during the assembly. First, 16 students partnered up for a wig-snatching competition; the first student to snatch the wig off their opponent advanced to the next round. The second game was a balloon-popping match played by students against teachers. Participants would run with a balloon and press their backs against others to pop it. In the end, the teachers won, defeating this year’s Homecoming court.

Many students expressed their dissatisfaction with the sound quality throughout the event, noting that it was either too loud or too quiet. During parts of the football and cheer dance, the music was excessively loud, drowning out the actions on stage. Conversely, when the ASB members were reading from their scripts, students struggled to hear them as they spoke into their microphones. Some attendees suggested that the poor audio quality resulted from the lack of wall padding, while others believed it was due to the noise created by students in the gym.

“The audio quality is poor (and the) music announcements don’t come through clearly because of the number of students in the gym,” said LAHS senior Petra Mao.

During the assembly, a montage of sports edits created by Griffin News and Focus Studios members kept students engaged and interested in showing school spirit for all the teams featured. Although the audio was still poor, students showed support and cheered for their incredible talent.

Each Homecoming queen and king nominee then made their way down the red carpet, stopping at the end for a photo. After students vote, via an ASB Google form, the king and queen will be announced at the Homecoming game.

The Homecoming assembly brought LAHS together with cheers and laughter that filled the gym. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to buy your Homecoming game and dance tickets. Dance tickets this week are $45 with an ASB card and $50 without until the day of the dance. Tickets can be purchased for $60 at the door. Tickets to the Homecoming game at 7 p.m. at LAHS this Friday can be purchased on the GoFan website.