![Minutes before the Activities Fair in the gym, president Abhi Gowda ‘26 prepares the stall for his club Helping Hands, Sept. 4. A relatively new club, Helping Hands was co-started by Gowda and focuses on assisting the homeless, and just last year they succeeded in raising a couple hundred donations to send to shelters. This year, they have goals to expand, with hopes to increase volunteer opportunities and take in-person trips to shelters, as well as extend their help beyond just homeless people. “The Activities Fair gives a lot of underclassmen the opportunity to really get to know the Canyon culture, and it gives them many opportunities for service and volunteering,” Gowda said. “[Through the Activities Fair,] I hope to find a bunch of new and passionate members about our club and just get our name out there and spread awareness to the cause that we’re fighting for.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-2-1200x885.jpg)
![The winter guard team makes fifth place at the state championship finals in the Denver Coliseum, March 30. The team performed to Barnes Country's “Glitter and Gold,” lead by coaches Margo Sanford, Blair Bickerton and Anna Orgren. In their class there were a total of nine groups participating, and the top five who made it to finals received a plaque. “[Walking onto the stage] is very nerve-wracking, but also very exciting as well. When you first start color guard there's a lot of anxiety and uncertainty when you first perform in front of an audience, but once you've done it for a while, it starts to become the best part of the season,” Ella West ‘25 said. “It's very fulfilling to see an audience react to something you've put your heart and soul into.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Both-socal-media-nd-website-main-1-1200x846.jpg)
![April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). This month is to spread awareness of the harassment, assault and abuse that happens around the world. The symbol that represented the month was a teal ribbon; however, some survivors of assault create different symbols and movements like the TikTok trend in 2022, where survivors would tattoo Medusa on their body, in honor of her backstory in Greek Mythology. “I don't think [this month is known] at all. I rarely see anybody talk about it. I rarely see much of an emphasis on posting it online, or much discussion about it, and I feel like there needs to be way more discussion,” an anonymous source said. “I think just validating every experience that a person has gone through, regardless of the degree of it, the severity, is an essential step into making sure that people are aware that this is a very real problem in a society and that we need to do better in addressing it.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0011-1200x900.jpg)
![Lesbian Visibility Day is April 26, and it’s a holiday to celebrate the lesbian community of the world. Lesbian Visibility day was established in 2008 by many queer activists and organizations who sought to raise more awareness for lesbian history and culture. “So this is why during Lesbian Visibility [Day] we celebrate and center all lesbians, both cis and trans, while also showing solidarity with all LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people,” Linda Reily, in an article written by her, said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lesbian-Visibility-day.jpeg)
The Best Dressed List: Back to School Spirit Week 2021
An inside look at the styles, students, and spirit that ruled the hallways.
media by Madison Loucks
Cover image graphic for Back to School Best Dressed List 2021 by Madison Loucks .
August 30, 2021
Jags, it looks like last year’s struggles of tiresome uncertainty, subdued spirit, and inadequate community involvement are finally over; students are getting into the swing of a normal school year, and Rock Canyon is coming together stronger than before, energized to make this year one of the best yet.
And what better way to go down in Jag history than with killer spirit week fits? As per tradition, I have highlighted some of the most memorable outfits that students wore and a few jags who went all out for each day’s theme. Spirit themes this week were each inspired by the highly anticipated 2021 Back to School Dance, which was themed “Light the Night: Neon out”. The daily themes all generated excitement for the first dance of the year, on Aug. 27.
Monday: “Lights out: Black out”
On Monday, students arrived at school wearing black outfits, in spirit of the “lights out” theme. The hallways were an exciting scene; an impressive sea of all black, and countless creative outfits to kick off the week.
Tuesday: “In the spotlight: Dress like a celebrity”
On Tuesday, the theme was dress like a celebrity. Even though this theme may seem more difficult to dress up for, it was one of the biggest turnouts! Students’ outfits were extremely creative and all throughout the school big VIP’s were spotted. Artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj; Celebrities like Paris Hilton, various Kardashians, and even Charli D’Amelio; Movie characters like Jenna Rink from 13 going on 30 or Donna from Mamma Mia. This was perhaps one of the highlight themes of the week.
Wednesday: “Light up the jungle: jag spirit”
The theme for Wednesday was light up the jungle. Students sported their favorite jaguar apparel, represented their involvements and clubs, showcased their RC sports gear, or flaunted their canyon senior attire. (girls senior pants and golden boys’ overalls.) No one does school spirit like the jags, and this week we showed it in style.
A group of RC senior girls sport their classic senior pants on Jag Day, Aug. 25. “I really enjoyed making the pants; they are super fun, and I love the tradition because it’s something that makes the seniors stand out on spirit or game days!” Bella Lewis ‘22 said.
Thursday: “USA: Stars, Stripes, and Lights”
On Thursday, we “lit” up the school with stars and stripes. Students pulled out their favorite reds, whites and blues to show their spirit, and lots had unique ways to incorporate the theme into their USA getups. Some students wore fun accessories like hair bands, socks, or hats; others went all out with logos and tracksuits; and some incorporated USA spirit with the colors of their outfits.
Friday: (Back to School Dance) NEON OUT
The back to school dance was Friday night, and after the week of anticipation for tonight, students went all out for the neon theme. Bright green, pink, orange, yellow, and more filled the courtyard and the commons. Glow sticks, light up glasses and even glow in the dark makeup and face paint accessorized the outfits of many. Students blended right in with the wild atmosphere of the 2021 back to school dance, and the neon spirit was a great way to finish off the week.
