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Competing at the three-legged race, Van Vara ‘29 and Joaquin Rivers ‘29 seek the finish line, in hope of winning a point for the red team. With two legs attached by a bandana with the color of the team, students leaped and jumped as fast as possible. Part of a big relay within their group, the activity created a sense of persistence and sportsmanship.
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Showing spirit, Lise Billy ’28, Ana Jovanovic ’27, Claire Lee ‘26, and Meera Iyengar ‘26, use artistic skills to paint on their arms with the color of their team. Each choir member was given a group and was asked to show their team spirit through accessories. Many students only wore their group color as clothes while others went all out with glitter paint, headbands, and temporary head dye.
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Jumping with joy, Karoline Hammonds ‘27 turns to her friends to show her victory as the champion of “the cup game”. In the lineup of activities, the game of speed, reflex, and coordination remains one of the favorites through the years. Placed in duos, students competed to raise the cup first, thrown off by diverting instructions.
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Reaching for a win, Kymberlynn Tribou ‘26 competes against Cason Teinert ‘27 at the greatly appreciated “cup-game”. With a partner, students tested their reflexes and focus to reach for the cup -and win- as fast as possible. For a challenge, competitors were thrown off with other instructions.
Flooding into the choir room, choir members eagerly joined their friends into creating a powerful harmony, filling the music wing with memorable melodies. The annual tradition, “choir camp”, held on Monday Sept. 2, holds a legacy of transforming choir into a well-knit community.
Other than on the stage, JV, varsity, boys’, and girls’ choirs rarely collaborate and get the chance to connect. But from the moment the three-hour camp started, the musical reunion provided opportunities to meet other people and to grow as a group.
“I liked how I was with my friends and [could] compete against them,” Baptiste de Cormis ‘29 said. “The mix of age and personalities made me discover new people.”
The afternoon consisted of various activities where each student was assigned a group run by a leadership officer and designated by a color. After creating a team cheer, each group competed in events such as a three-legged race, a post-it showdown, and a cup-speed tournament.
“The little games gave us a chance to communicate with other people and spend time with the choir as a whole,” Rosemary Mucluck ‘27 said. “They were really fun and helped us bond.”
For others, what came after the games was even better. With a couple practice-runs, the choirs all rushed to the gym to perform the national anthem at the varsity volleyball home game against Vista Ridge.
“In Pitch Perfect 2, they all find their sound at the fireplace [scene], and that’s kind of like how we were,” Ian Schultz ‘29 said. “We all locked in and sang the Star Spangled Banner [together].”
For the first time of the school year as one, all types of voices partook in creating a harmonious melody. Not only rehearsing the national anthem for upcoming singing opportunities at football games and events, but also the choir anthem The Lord Shall Bless You and Keep You by composer John Butter.
“I liked hearing everyone’s voices combined and how it all blended,” Sissi Ge ‘29 said. “I just liked singing [all] together.”
To celebrate the end of the festivities and the beginning of the 2025 choir community, students enjoyed pizza and homemade s’mores bars, the highlight of the night.
“In general, I just felt like everyone was really inclusive,” Ge said. “Everyone just supports each other.”
The Westwood Choir will perform their first concert at the Hope Presbyterian Church on Monday Sept. 29.
