Time to show some school spirit

Noemi Lozano, Copy Editor

October 25, 2013

While conducting the marching band at the pep rally, drum major Kevin Valencia, 12, keeps time while Jeremy Moore, 11, imitates his every move. Unlike other years this year, the assembly was held in front of the ASB window.

The time had come for the anticipated football game that occurs only once a year: Downey High School versus its biggest rival, Warren High School. Leading into the big football game on Friday at Warren High, Downey High participated in Spirit Week.

Originally, Tuesday the 15 was planned as Flannel day, but due to the loss of fellow Viking Dodi Soza, earlier in the week, the student’s close friends started a hashtag trend on twitter, #WhiteForDodi, that inspired students to wear white instead of the original flannel. Junior Marlene Oropeza, incorporated both Dodi Day and Flannel Day by wearing a white t-Shirt with the words RIP Dodi written in marker and topped it off with a flannel.

“I had already planned to wear a flannel on Tuesday but I also really wanted to support Dodi, so I thought ‘Why not both?’,” Oropeza said.

On Wednesday the 16, Disney Day attracted students to get involved in Spirit Week. From Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears to Disney princess costumes, students were dressed to impress. Junior Sophia Lopez was one of the many students who participated.

“It was so hard to pick an outfit this morning. I changed from a Goofy shirt, to a Cinderella crown, to some giraffe print Minnie Mouse ears,” Lopez said. “If I could make Disney day everyday, I would. I sort of have an obsession for Disney.”

Thursday was the much anticipated Warren Wimp Day. Some students went to school in simple Warren attire, while the more spirited students of the school were dressed in wacky outfits, such as bear costumes. Junior Beverly Llonillo dressed up for Spirit Week for the first time of her 3 years attending Downey High.

“I don’t know why I never dressed up these past years; it is so fun,” Llonillo said. “I just made my own Warren Wimp t-Shirt and I mix matched my shoes and socks; it was simple but wimpy.”

Appropriate for game day, Friday was planned as Downey Pride Day. Students dressed in their Downey High attire including PE shirts, sports attire, and class sweaters. The cheerleaders, as well as the varsity football team, were dressed in their uniforms and participated in a rally led by the school band during snack.

School spirit was shown by the students dressing up daily and participating in this one week of satisfaction towards their Viking football players. The student body showed their Viking pride as the rally led to the upcoming game where they were not disappointed as the Vikings defeated the Bears 60-0.

About the Contributors

Noemi Lozano, Copy Editor

Senior Noemi Lozano will be part of The Downey Legend for her second year as copy editor by taking on the responsibility of making important documents needed to have a successful deadline. She first heard about The Downey Legend from a photographer her sophomore year and joined her junior year where it really helped her become more social. “Freshmen year I was really shy and now I can’t stop talking,” Lozano said. She is a big people person but one of her biggest pet peeves is when people say her name wrong or mistakenly call her Naomi. One of Lozano’s favorite shows is Orange is the New Black. During her free time she listens to her favorite artist Kid Cudi .One of Lozano’s goals is to move to San Francisco. “I just want to get away from here and explore,” Lozano said. Another goal of hers would be working with kids, because she wants to follow in her older sisters’ footsteps: one is 25 years old and teaches children with special needs, and the other is a 28 years old speech therapist.

Mayra Castro, Photographer

Current photographer for The Downey Legend, Mayra Castro, approaches her senior year with optimism and hopes to makes her final year memorable by never missing an opportunity to hang out with friends, while still managing her academics. Castro describes photography as her favorite art medium and, although her passion is fairly new, she is eager to gain more experience by practicing alongside the other Online Newspaper photographers. The senior decided to join the staff because she wanted a place where she could showcase her work while working with other passionate and goal oriented students. She is also considering a future in photojournalism and hopes to familiarize herself with the publication process. Castro’s main goal for the future is to be the first in her family to go to college. The aspiring photographer feels that a college degree is a necessary component to be successful in today’s economy. When she is enrolled in school, Castro hopes to major in photojournalism and eventually have her images published in a popular magazine where thousands of people can appreciate her work. In her personal life, Castro describes herself as a simple girl with simple tastes. She appreciates the small things in life like listening to music or simply hanging out with friends at the local mall. She looks at each day from a relaxed and optimistic perspective. “The most important part of my life is being happy,” Castro said. “That's all that matters.”