This school year, Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA) kicked things off with a fresh change. ASB decided to retire the old house competition system and introduced something new: grade-level competitions. Now, instead of being split into houses, students team up with their own grade to earn points.
Whether it’s joining school events, dressing up for spirit days, or working together on class projects, every action counts. The goal? Be the top class by the end of the year.
ASB made the switch to help students feel more connected to their classmates and to make events easier to organize. The new setup includes monthly point updates, class identity projects, and prizes for the grade that comes out on top. So far, it’s been a hit. Students say they feel more motivated and proud to represent their class.
“The new house competitions have been better because they bring more people together, which makes all of us feel more included and allows for more team bonding,” said Hazel Shafiq, a junior at MECA.”I feel like students feel a lot better participating with students they have known for however many long years, which makes the house competitions a lot better.”
Not only have the house competition changes made the events students participate in more engaging, but it has also brought people closer, whether it be if they have known each other from elementary school, or if they have just met and have started to foster a newfound friendship.
“Since we are all like competing with the other grades together, we kind of bond over that,” said junior Katelyn Chung. “I think it promotes friendly competition between friends. I know some people might not want to be split up, but I honestly think like personally, I enjoy like kind of competing against them. I know it’s just friendly competition; if you take it too seriously, it’s not really the point of doing grade versus grade; it’s just to bond with your classmates and to have friendly competition with others.”
This shift not only encouraged bonding within grades but also reminded students of the fun and energy the old house system brought. Some still miss the friendly rivalries, while others enjoy the new sense of class unity.
“What I missed about [the old house competition system] is like, it was cooler. Saying that you are in-house together, but saying like the houses are cool because students are in different houses,” said Angelina Te, a senior at MECA.
The shift not only made people feel more comfortable about the new class system, but also brought up some memories about the old house competition. Some students feel like the old house system was better because students were placed in different houses, creating a diverse environment for the students.
The switch to grade-level competitions has brought mixed reactions; some miss the old house system, while others enjoy the stronger class spirit. Overall, ASB hopes the new setup will keep building excitement and connection throughout the year.
