Class cheer, step add to spirt week excitement
Photo by Alyssa Urayanza
Team member Spencer Shiraishi ignites Kamunukea Gomes, the center of an explosive finish to the senior step. All high school classes competed in two classic spirit week events, step and class cheer, on Friday, Sept. 26, at Kaʻulaheanuiokamoku Gymnasium. Results of the competition-style event would be announced at the homecoming game the next day.
With an already tough week of competition so far, each of the classes were ready to bring more heat with class cheer and step yesterday at Kaʻulaheanuiokamoku Gymnasium.
There were dozens of posters and decorations plastered on the walls and bleachers, each section sporting one of the four class colors. Students poured into the gym. The seniors were the last to take their seats after aborting an entrance that was to be accompanied by chanting at the last minute.
Once everyone was in their sections, the festivities that students had been looking forward to all week began.
The freshman step team was up first with a routine that incorporated many levels. At one point, the team kneeled down and used their hands and the floor to make their beat. They also included their class with a “2018, 2018, 2018, Boom!” cheer.
Then, the sophomores came out hard with a cool and creative routine. Their matching black boots stomped stylishly on the gym floor as two members of the team break danced. The sophomore class cheered them on with waving red pom-poms.
The junior step team had a large number of members, and it paid off because they were very loud. They also included a cheer in their step that talked about having a lot of spirit and giving it “all [they] got.”
For the final time, the senior class team took the floor wearing shirts that said “Senior Step” in graffiti-style letters. To start their step they did a call and response segment with their class saying, “Lookinʻ at, lookinʻ at, lookinʻ at me. Lookinʻ at, lookinʻ at, 2015.” They also ended their step with a class song, “Weʻre All in This Together,” from High School Musical.
“I definitely think we couldʻve been better, but the spirit was there, and we had fun!” senior step member Brandy Takiguchi said.
As for the class cheer competition, the freshman class had a short cheer, that re-incorporated the “2018, 2018, 2018, Boom!” cheer from their step routine. They used phrases like “Brrrr, itʻs cold in here. There must be some freshmen in the atmosphere!”
The sophomores cheered echoed that phrase in their cheer and also cheered proudly about Pele, their heroine. Each class chose a hero to rally around for spirit week. To finish their cheer, the entire sophomore student section held up pieces of painted cardboard. When all pieces were up, they formed a picture of a volcano, and students at the top threw out red, orange, and yellow streamers to top it off with “lava.”
Up next were the juniors, who had a lot of movement in their cheer. Their cheer relied on stong beats and a lot of call and response cheers between the boys and the girls sections.
The senior class ended the competition by starting with Macie Tawata, Brissa Christopherson, and Crystal Hipolito chanting to Kanaloa. Then, the rest of the class joined in and brought back their “I believe!” cheer.
Following that, the entire student body came together to sing the schoolʻs alma mater, “Sons of Hawaiʻi.”
There are only two competition pieces — float and parade banner — left to be added to the weekʻs total, which, so far, includes scores for Battle of the Bands, boys cheer, and dress-up days.
“Itʻs definitely going to be close this year,” ASKSM president Haliʻa Kekuewa said. “I canʻt tell whoʻs going to win.”
