With three grades of Palo Alto High School students decked out in Paly colors and seniors in camo, students watched from the stands as the seniors triumphed in the last rally lunch rally and the teachers performed a Michael Jackson “Thriller” themed dance at the lunch rally today. The festivities further continued during the afternoon rally, where classes presented both their floats and dances to the school.

Juniors and sophomores faced off against each other during the first round of the Hula Hoop Ring game amidst loud cheers from the crowd, with the juniors barely clinching the victory.

Junior Emily Tsoi a member of the Hula Hoop Ring team for her class, enjoyed the experience of representing her grade and beating the sophomores in the tight matchup.

“It was really exhilarating, it felt like a lot of teamwork and all your grade was cheering you on, it was so positive,” Tsoi said. “We were watching the sophomores finish… and we just sat down super fast and a split second later they sat down.”

In the second round, the seniors beat the freshman, leading to a showdown between the upperclassmen classes for first place. The seniors, entering the rally with over one thousand points more than the juniors, claimed the first place finish. 

Next, the teachers performed their dance routine in front of the student body displaying their Paly pride.

English teacher Mark Tolentino, who has participated in the teacher dance four out of the five years he has been teaching at Paly, said he joins the dance for many reasons.

“I feel like it’s a fun way to build relationships with students and to make me seem less intimidating and more approachable, and I just have fun doing it.” Tolentino said. “Plus it’s a good stress relief.”

After school, the second rally began. Starting with the freshmen class and ending with the senior class, the grades took turns performing their dances in front of the school on the football field, with the seniors winning the dance. Both the dances and the floats were products of many hours of hard work and teamwork. 

The freshmen float included a television screen which featured Nickelodeon symbols such as the Spongebob’s pineapple house, while the sophomore float presented a three dimensional race car. The junior float displayed a large rubber duck with Paly in the background, and the senior float included a detailed monopoly board, complete with a jail cell. 

The after-school dance and float showcase marked the last Spirit Week rally for the senior class. Senior Hana Morita expressed her thoughts about this bittersweet moment.

“I’m so sad, but so happy,” Morita said. “It was so much fun and I loved all the years that I’ve done Spirit Week. The unity that everyone has … is just one special, weird celebration that is our school spirit.”

Spirit Week concludes with the homecoming football game tonight, and homecoming dance tomorrow evening where final Spirit Week results will be announced. For any previous scores and Friday’s lunch rally results, refer to the ASB Master Schedule. Continue to use #palyspirit17 on any Spirit Week posts in order to be featured on The Paly Voice.