For years, Friday trivia during the second period announcements was a lighthearted tradition that broke the routine of the repetitive and academically stressful school week. It gave students a few minutes to laugh, compete with other classes for a box of delicious donuts, and connect as a community, offering a small yet meaningful part of each Friday morning to look forward to at the end of a long week. However this year, without warning, the trivia simply stopped. It's a sudden disappearance but it reflects a larger problem, the growing lack of effort from administrators to keep school life and culture more engaging and enjoyable for students. When small traditions like this seem to fade away, it symbolises how creating a fun connected school community has become less of a priority. Friday trivia shouldn't just be seen as the loss of a fun activity, but a symbol for the underlying issue, the need for our administrators to be more proactive in keeping the school environment lighthearted.
The absence of Principal Juan Raygoza’s voice announcing a fun fact over the loudspeaker did not go unnoticed this year. BHS junior Anisa Hackett expressed disappointment about the change, reflecting on how much she would look forward to someday winning Friday trivia, and is now upset to see it gone. “It really makes me sad to think about it,” she said, “I would always look forward to Friday trivia, and I remember that I would always try to be the one to do the phone, to type in the number, and look forward to winning, and now I'll never get the chance to win.” Her words echo a deeper concern, that without these moments of joy among classrooms, the spirit of the school community begins to fade. If small traditions like Friday trivia are lost, the sense of community that they bring fades with them.
That feeling of disappointment isn't just about the loss of an exciting moment, it's about the atmosphere the trivia would bring. Traditions like Friday trivia remind students that school isn't just about grades and academic stress, it's a community. When those lighthearted moments suddenly vanish, classrooms and students begin to feel less excited about going to school every day.
It's easy to dismiss something so little as Friday trivia as insignificant, but it played a quiet role in keeping school life more lighthearted and bonded as a community. It made students end the stressful week on a high note, and made classes feel connected, even if it was just for those few minutes. Without these optimistic moments of joy, our school risks becoming a place that values order over free expression, and where the focus on academics overshadows the sense of belonging that makes coming to school so worthwhile. The administration and Raygoza need to recognize their responsibility to maintain a school environment that balances academics with a lighthearted community. Bringing back this loved tradition would show students that the school cares about maintaining a fun environment to look forward to each day, and that the administration values the sense of community that makes school not just a place for academic stress, but somewhere where students genuinely want to be.