Eyes turned towards the door as an alien ran through the gym. 

     Two leadership members, junior Abdi Mohamoud and senior Andrew Carter, chased a green figure across the gym floor to start the Welcome Back Assembly. 

     Freshman Bobbi Mackenzie (Chambers) sang the National Anthem. Senior class secretary, Alex Dyler and senior class president Trevor Smith entered the gym to hype up the students and faculty for the upcoming school year, and then the games began….

     Principal Brian Bailey, new to the administrative team, experienced his first Tigard High School assembly. 

     “I had a blast…I love high school assemblies when you get everyone into one space and have good positive energy,” Bailey said. He used to teach leadership and explained that he had a real sense of how difficult planning assemblies can be.

     Students played games during the assembly, including a tug of war with the school’s administrators, who took the win against ASB.

     Christina Andreas and Mohommad Mustafa were chosen by random draw to participate in a finish the lyric game. The loser of each round was punished with a cup of water dumped on their head. Andreas won the game, leaving Mustafa drenched in water. 

     Having experienced four year’s worth of introductory assemblies, senior Tyler Penn was impressed.

     “This years [welcome back assembly] seemed genuine,” senior Tyler Penn said. “[It] obviously need[ed] some work… but [it was a] good start.” 

     Freshmen were also impressed. 

     “The assembly today was fun and nothing like I’ve done before,” freshman Joey James said. “We did a lot more activities than in middle school.”

     “The Area 51 theme was hilarious, and at the end when they caught the Alien and dragged him was the best part,” freshman Jocelyne Tovar Lopez said.

     Overall, the assembly seemed to be successful. With the introduction of a new year and a new principal, students and staff are ready to raid the year.