Cleveland’s record-setting 2015 freshman class, 26 new teachers, and new Principal Tammy O’Neill were treated to a 55 minute jam-packed display of what it truly means to be a Cleveland Warrior Friday, Sept. 18 during the fall kickoff assembly.

The Cleveland gym was transformed into an overflowing canvas of green, gold, and spirit as the whole student body showed up rowdy for the first pep assembly of the year.

The leadership class, who put on each assembly, did not disappoint. The heads of the class, Activities Director Camille Adana and Student Body President Monica Arnone, senior, will be the first to tell you it was not the cleanest execution of an assembly, but it definitely delivered.

The response and participation from the audience was magical.

Gallery • 15 Photos

Clarion photo Ian Legros

Junior Avi Halperin sports his green and gold

The goal of the leadership class was to offer something to every student in attendance, that means not just sports, but departments and clubs also integral to the makeup of the school.  So after the assembly got rolling with a rendition of the National Anthem from the Cleveland Daires, the introductions of new teachers, and a thunderous roll call, the crowd witnessed an “Activities Showcase.”

The crowd watched as Cleveland robotics, drama, and speech and debate each showed the student body what they had to offer.

The robotics team showed off a box-stacking robot controlled completely by a “Guitar Hero” guitar, while drama gave a sneak peak into their upcoming production “LOL.” Speech and debate employed the recruiting tactic of showing off their hardware while the always spirited coach Patrick Gonzales fired up the crowd with Cleveland Cannibal chants.

“It’s not often that you see the performing arts, and robotics and everybody else integrated into what’s happening with the sports teams and we’re all part of the same community so it was huge,” said drama teacher Tom Beckett, who called the assembly the best and most inclusive he had ever attended.

While the showcases were great, they went overtime, which put the leadership crew and the rest of the assembly on its heels. “They were only supposed to go three minutes apiece, but they ended up going six minutes apiece,” said Adana.

The mismanagement in time forced a relay race to be cut that planned to pit teams of two from each class and a pair of teachers against each other.

The Egg Game followed the showcase, which was a game of Cleveland trivia that included teams of two from each fall sport. The catch: If a team got a question wrong, one team member had to crack an egg on the other’s head. It wasn’t until the egg broke that the team knew if it was hard boiled or raw.

The game did not go over well as many students found it hard to see the action from where they were in the bleachers. “I think it was a great idea, it just could’ve been executed better,” assessed Adana.

Whatever lull the crowd felt during that part of the assembly, they felt themselves waking up again after a lively dance routine from the Sundancers and then a follow-up routine put together by a dance squad of junior girls.

Everything built up to a peak in the final event of the assembly, the “Lip Sync Battles.” First, sophomore Abby Wilusz beat freshman Elliot Bach in a lip syncing of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” The crowd did not fully ignite until junior Jason Boe and senior Talia Deady performed a duet of “Breaking Free” from “High School Musical.” The crowd went bananas, singing along and even swaying their phone lights back and forth through the air like lighters. In a close decision, Deady’s senior class made enough noise to give Deady and themselves class bragging rights. Closing the assembly was a vice principal showdown between Katy Wagner and Darryl Miles to the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrill. The crowd went hysterical seeing their new VP Mr. Miles strut around the floor with as much soul and swagger as an old Marvin Gaye. He was crowned winner for his effort. “I was very appreciative of the student body’s support. These are the things that make working here fun. Ms. Wagner will have to do a little more dancing maybe next time,” said Miles.

Even with all the time management issues and slight lull in the middle, the assembly was solid for the first of the year. ”I think it went really well. We had a few hiccups, but we all pulled it together in the end,” said Arnone. The assembly definitely closed with a bang more memorable than any assembly finish in recent history. Without a doubt, the crowd was more memorable than any other in recent history. “The student involvement was intense and everybody was cheering. That was really cool, it’s never been like that before,” said junior Cooper Hull.

“I had such a great time. There was school spirit, there was this really positive energy, everyone was so excited. Honestly, I did not anticipate enjoying it as much as I did … . Kudos to the leadership kids and Ms. Adana because that was nicely managed, well-organized, and really positive,” added Principal Tammy O’Neill on her first assembly.

Despite the great reviews, leadership knows how much better and more polished their products can be. They believe now that they’ve got their first game jitters and kinks out of the way, their upcoming assemblies will be even a hotter ticket. So mark your calendars for Oct. 8, the Homecoming Assembly and next chance to show off your school spirit. “This next one’s going to be a lot more clean-cut. We’ll have everything down,” assured Arnone.

If you aren’t able to make it and see what it’s truly like to be a Cleveland Warrior, I’m sure, no matter where you are, you’ll still be able to hear what it’s like to be a Cleveland Warrior.