South Forsyth’s annual Sofopalooza welcomes the rising freshmen
Sofopalooza shenanigans. Rising freshmen Matt Craig, Caleb Singh, and Tamsen Hayden relax on a bench in the plaza after a long day filled with smiles and laughter. They cannot wait to become a South Forsyth War Eagle in the 2020-2021 school year.
April 16, 2020
Plaza art. Junior Pranati Madala engraves the concrete with sidewalk chalk to encourage the rising freshmen to participate. Many of the 8th graders joined Madala on the ground to scribble their own SFHS doodles.
On Saturday morning, the South Forsyth High School campus buzzed with teachers and student volunteers dressed in tie-dye uniforms as they prepared the school for Sofopalooza, an event to introduce the many clubs at SFHS to the rising freshmen. The Sofopalooza staff members worked diligently to ensure a smooth and lively event for the middle school students and their families. The luminous day consisted of various games, activities, and prizes that the many rising high schoolers enjoyed.
The rising freshmen bubbled with nervous excitement as student volunteers handed out maps of SFHS. The Class of 2024 set off on a scavenger hunt throughout the school as they familiarized themselves with their future campus. There were staff members dispersed amongst the halls to help the future war eagles navigate through SFHS. Throughout the East and West hallways, SFHS clubs set up booths to encourage students to join their organizations.
“There’s a lot of presentations going around so we can get to know the clubs offered at South,” mentioned rising freshman Nancy Wang.
The SFHS fencing club gathered a crowd of curious rising high schoolers in the dining hall. They allowed volunteers to participate in a fencing combat against one another. Many rising freshmen were excited to use the fencing equipment to defeat their friends.
DECA’s cakewalk. Rising freshman Shalmik Ahire holds his prize in excitement after winning DECA’s annual cakewalk contest. He displayed enthusiasm to join DECA in his freshmen year.
“I was battling my friend in a duel, and I won,” explained rising freshman Matt Craig, “[I am] considering joining the fencing team now.”
In the marketing building, the SFHS DECA chapter put on their annual carnival filled with a surplus of activities such as a taste-testing, ring toss, basketball game, and a cakewalk. The 8th graders entertained themselves with the DECA fair games, winning many sweets such as cakes and candies.
“Sofopalooza is a super fun and important event for the rising freshman!” DECA member Julia Bradley enthused. “We hold a marketing themed carnival every year with different games that have to do with our program. We also introduced parents and students to DECA and talked with them about what it’s like being in DECA, competing, and all the fun events you get to be a part of. All of the 8th graders loved playing our cake walk, ring toss, and taste testing games.”
Blue Gym basketball. Rising freshmen Avery Corkery, Jackson Netzel, and Parker Corkery face off in a game of basketball in the Blue Gym. Around the court, sports teams displayed their booths in hopes of new members for the 2020-2021 school year.
South’s DECA also showcased the Bird Cage during Sofopalooza. The Bird Cage caught the eyes of many future high schoolers due to the South Forsyth apparel that was on display. The Bird Cage attracted quite a crowd by baking their famous, freshly-baked chocolate chip and M&M cookies and giving them out for free.
The Blue Gym featured the many sports South Forsyth High School offers. While the rising freshmen played basketball on the court, the sports teams set up booths around the perimeter to encourage the Class of 2024 to try out for the SFHS sports teams.
In the plaza, the Sofopalooza staff handed out SFHS merchandise including shirts, cups, and pens. The 8th graders sported their new SOFO Nation shirts, eager to learn more about their new school. Many of the rising freshmen utilized the chalk sprawled around the plaza and wrote their own little messages across the concrete.
The SFHS culinary staff had many good eats for the visitors to try. The student cooks whipped up delicious snacks such as cookies for the rising freshmen to indulge upon. Chef Martin invited the guests to take a bite; many of the rising high schoolers were not hesitant to savor the food.
Sofopalooza ended in yet another success with many clubs being able to share their passions with the future War Eagles. The rising freshmen left the event with large smiles and full bellies, eager to kick off the 2020-2021 school year.
