By: Colin Watamura
This Thursday, Redwood prefaced its annual Homecoming Week with a luncheon celebrating the nominees and their escorts.
More than 130 from over 50 clubs on campus were recognized in the luncheon, which kicked off at noon and featured a catered lunch, nostalgic music, and an opportunity for the nominees to chat with each other and share their experiences thus far.
Cassidy Villarreal, ‘19, was nominated to represent Paws 4 A Cause, an animal welfare group on campus that aims to find homes for sheltered animals and promote the well being of animals as a whole. Villarreal was new to the club last year, but her time spent in the club was focused and determined. Not only was she a leading voice in the project planning but she also took on leadership roles this time last year during Homecoming. “I spent the whole day last year on Homecoming making the float,” Villarreal said, describing the assistant-manager type role she played last year.
Villarreal also passionately described the club’s ambitions for this year and the community service opportunities they plan to engage in over the semester. “We are trying to go volunteer at some shelters to hopefully go and find some dogs some homes,” she said, “and I just think it’s a great cause.” She is excited about the opportunity she feels students will have that accompanies being in the club and the hands on experience that is not found in other outlets.
Villarreal’s escort, Josh Bratton ‘19, talks very highly of Villarreal. “Cassidy has been my friend since I was very very young and i don’t have anything bad to say about her. She’s a great friend.” Bratton continues to talk about Villarreal as a leader, “She’s very good at leading people, she doesn’t back down, she doesn’t take crap from anybody, and she is willing to go the extra mile for everybody.” Bratton ends with.
Abri Stephens, ‘19, was also nominated by the Conspiracy Theory Club, a club in its second year of activity which attracted over thirty members to its first meeting. Stephens serves as president of the club and orchestrates its activities along with a small team of appointed club officials to promote a safe, down-to-earth environment where students can express themselves without judgement.
“I think it really captures the essence of [the] club,” Stephens said, referring to its positive and welcoming environment. She also went into detail about setting the club’s bar even higher than last year. “I want to get a lot of people involved….for us to grow, it feels like it’s become a part of Redwood.” Stephens ends with.
Redwood’s Homecoming has become the opportunity for clubs to make themselves known on campus and establish different environments that collectively make Redwood a more positive outlet for student expression. Through Homecoming, many students find themselves able to connect themselves in ways that extend beyond the week itself, but rather throughout the rest of their high school career.
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