Wednesday, March 25, 2009 By Galyver Asi - Jane Shin Advertising Students bend over backwards for yearbooks at Rally Week (December 16, 2005) -- As the yearbook staff began setting up the amphitheater for the competitions during this week, students quickly chowed down their lunch and began forming a line with dollar bills clutched in hand. Students were given lollipops as complimentary treats for participating in the activities, and the winner each day was ultimately rewarded with a free yearbook. This year’s yearbook rally week is only the third held since its initiation six years ago. According to its coordinators, the purpose of this event was to encourage students to support yearbook sales and crank up school spirit. Approximately 150 students participated this week in limbo, basketball shoot-out, football toss and musical chairs. Freshman Hovanes Goukassian, winner of Monday’s limbo competition, was inspired to test his flexibility once more after years of prior experience in Wilson Middle School. “In our PE classes, we used to hold contests twice a year on who could go the lowest in limbo,” he said. “I won a few times.” Goukassian said that he did not expect to win this time because it had been a while since he participated in a limbo contest. Although the limbo contest did not draw a large crowd, Goukassian still felt nervous about winning when he competed with other students. “I almost thought that the girl was going to win,” he said. After taking the title as the winner, the other contenders politely commented on his height as the key to his victory. Meanwhile, Tuesday’s basketball shoot-out drew a crowd of nearly 50 students. Students scrambled in disarray to keep the line straight. Though the contest was male- dominated, seniors such as Iren Tatevosyan, Danica Valencia, Serah Gharib and junior Aileen Vartanian still tried their luck in getting the ball in the basket. With a gap of 15 feet between the players and the basket, it seemed no winner was going to be announced. Minutes ticked by and finally, junior Joseph Tanielian rose to the challenge and was the only one who made the shot. Wednesday’s objective proved to be a harder task. Even though sophomore Gregory Gasparian’s attempt fumbled on the tire’s side, he was considered as a semi-finalist. Moments later, junior William Pettijohn-Hernandez managed to get the football flawlessly through the suspended tire. Rally week concluded with musical chairs as three groups competed separately with each group having approximately eight people. Students were eliminated and the last two players competing against each other were junior Talish Davoodian and senior Nayri Vartanian. In the end, Davoodian won just as the bell rung for lunch to end.

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