The school year commenced with Senior Luau in the quad on September 4th, 2024, where students had the chance to celebrate their last year at Cypress. Seniors gathered around the quad with their friends, watched performances, ate food, and took pictures–all organized by ASB. The show included dances by fire dancers and even a surprise performance by some of the seniors attending.
Students began arriving at school at 6 PM wearing tropical attire and were greeted by the ASB students who were passing out leis for the seniors to wear, along with some well-designed photo setups. Senior, Alicia Villegas said, “The more difficult part was the decorations…how we wanted the vibe to look, how senior luau looks–that matters in the back of the pictures.”
After guests were welcomed, students had the chance to play games such as cornhole and to stop by the photobooths. Around 6:30 PM, dinner was served. The food included white rice served with teriyaki chicken, meatballs with a special sauce on top, salad, and fresh watermelon. Students even had the chance to enjoy a cup of shaved ice with a variety of flavors of their choice either before or after dinner had been served.
Once dinner had concluded, seniors all headed to the quad where they watched the enthralling performances from Hawaiian cultures. The live music and cheers from the graceful dances echoed throughout the school. The most-anticipated performance of the night was–the fire dances. Seniors sat at the edge of their seats as the dancer spun around the torch and battled the fire. Students cheered as the night heated up. The suspense was piqued when the dancer’s tongue touched the fire. The night came to an end and the performers gave their last performance, with volunteers from the crowd who attempted to dance. Students played a game of “Simon Says” while incorporating the Hawaiian dances that were performed upstage.
The evening ended at around 8:30 PM, when students eventually had to part ways with their friends. Although the night might have ended too soon for some, it was the first of many senior events that seniors will remember long after high school.
