Shark Fest kicked off the new school year at Santiago High with sunshine, baby goats, and a whole lot of school spirit. Hosted by ASB and designed to welcome both freshmen and returning students, this year’s event was a community celebration that students won’t forget. It’s known to be a freshman event to introduce these fresh students to the school and get ready to begin a great year, although it is open for families and students of all grades to have fun and socialize. It featured various food trucks offering a range of food and drinks, as well as a free cotton candy stand located near the auditorium. There were different activities, such as multiple bouncy houses ranging from obstacle courses to indoor volleyball/basketball. The most popular attraction was the outdoor petting zoo, where students could interact with baby animals like goats.
When asking the coordinators and organizers of Shark Fest, Hannah Sallee and Max Eldridge, how they would describe Shark Fest:
“I would say it’s a celebration of the start of the school year. I think it’s a good way to kick off the year, and it kinda brings people together in a friendly environment where they can have fun.”
Max Eldridge (11)
“It’s like a soft launch to our school year.”
Hannah Sallee (11)
Each year, the two individuals get to put their own spin on Shark Fest, offering a different experience that attendees are meant to feel. With a different pair that organizes Shark Fest each year, something is done differently, so asking the two how this year’s Shark Fest is different from last year was crucial:
“This year, we ended up doing Shark Fest in the quad rather than out in the staff parking lot. We have way more obstacle courses and entertainment, and we also got three more food trucks this year.”
Hannah Sallee (11)
What It Took To Prepare
Hannah and Max took their time to plan the event, and it turned out to be a hit and was very successful, although the work of these two is the reason for the great turnout. Shark Fest is a busy event to plan, which takes the whole summer to plan. Let’s see what Hannah and Max had to say when asked what it took to plan and prepare it:
“It took a lot of work we had to contact all of the food truck people we had to contact wow party rentals to get all of our obstacles circled and inflatables out here, we needed to contact the petting zoo people, and it took a lot of last minute preparation because we had to move everything from the staff parking lot down to the quad.”
Max Eldridge (11)
“And it’s also a lot because this event is planned throughout the summer, so it’s hard to keep in contact with people, but overall it’s just totally worth it because it’s a fun way to start this year.”
Hannah Sallee (11)
Student Results
A variety of students were asked two questions throughout Shark Fest: What stands out the most about Shark Fest? And what are you most excited about during this event?
Based on the numerous student inputs following the initial questions, the overall majority agreed that what stood out the most during this event was the petting zoo and the food trucks. Overall, nothing was left unnoticed as both Hannah and Max took their time to organize what would be most entertaining for students. Once asked the second question, all students agreed that they were most excited to spend time with their friends.
Shark Fest was a grand success, where laughter and socializing happened throughout. There will be no doubt that next year will be just as fun as every other year. If you didn’t get the chance to attend or thought of possibly going, you never know what you’re missing out on if you don’t try.
