Organized by the junior class officers, Souper Bowl served as a fundraiser for the junior class prom. Parents, students, and staff alike gathered in the cafeteria on Thursday, Dec. 6 for the event, which featured activities such as silent and live auctions, performances from various organizations, and the main course: a variety of soups served to the crowd.

The fundraiser was organized in hopes of making prom tickets cheaper for students, and to meet these goals, the junior class officers, as well as many parents, put in months of hard work to create an entertaining and smoothly run event.

“We were initially worried about the turnout but our class officers are super proud at how many PTA and students came together to make the event happen,” Junior Class Vice President Brandon Qin ‘20 said. “It’s so rewarding and I know all of our officers are extremely relieved that the fundraiser is over. We’ve all worked so hard on the event and we’re all glad that our efforts paid off.”

In order to reach these goals, junior class members took to selling tickets door-to-door to increase the amount of total money raised. Additionally, many organizations such as SunDancers and the mens’ soccer teams contributed to the event by donating baskets that were auctioned off during the event. Through this, the junior class was fortunately able to meet their monetary goal of $5,000 for this year.

“The most difficult aspect of organizing this event would be advertising it,”  Junior Class President Alice Zhang ‘20 said. “Most students are extremely reluctant to attend events on school nights, so we attempted to attract more parents, who would hopefully bring along their children.”

Along with the various kinds of soup being served, the event also offered free sandwiches from Schlotzsky’s and Jason’s Deli. Desserts such as cookies and cake balls were also sold for one dollar a piece to garner up some more money towards prom.

“One of the most difficult aspects was trying to ensure there would be enough food for everyone,” Qin said. “But thanks to the student body and community and local sponsors we were able to have an extraordinary amount of food that ensured the fundraiser was a success.”

Souper Bowl also had various performances from several groups. Performing first, the SunDancers graced the stage with their tap abilities. As the night continued, the audience was delighted by Mr. Scott Chalk’s slam poetry reading, Armaan Reisdonna’s ‘20 delivery of his original rap pieces, as well as dancing from The Love of China, a Chinese based dance school. Ukulele Club and various band’s from our own teachers and students also took to the stage.

“My favorite performance was a tie between Armaan rapping and the SunDancers dance,” Andy Tutuc ‘20 said. “Armaan did a good job of getting the crowd excited and he’s a good rapper. The SunDancers’ performance really flowed well and it seemed like they worked hard to make sure it came together nicely.”

Through a combination of delicious food, enjoyable entertainment, and phenomenal auctions, Souper Bowl was a well-executed and successful strategy to raise money for an event that’s important for all students. Through this event, the junior class accumulated a total of $5,200, which was $200 over their predicted amount of $5,000.