As Halloween draws closer, students at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) celebrate the new season with a quarterly Renaissance Rally inspired by the infamous saga, “Twilight.” Hosted by the Associated Student Body (ASB) on Oct. 17, the event celebrated students for their academic achievements over the past quarter.

At the start of the lunch period, students flowed into the quad to the sight of various themed booths and spooky decorations. Attractions included “Worms n’ Dirt” pudding cups with Oreo dust and gummy worms, blood-like fruit punch and glitter tattoo stations to immerse the Dragons in the world of vampires and werewolves. 

Set up on the stage was a spin-the-wheel activity, hosting an assortment of prizes for Dragons to win. Students were encouraged to wear red for vampires and black for werewolves, and ASB blasted music throughout the quad to prepare for the Halloween dance taking place later that evening. 

Renaissance Rallies offer students a fun and interactive break from academics. Dragons who achieved a 0.5 GPA increase or a GPA of 3.0 or higher were able to participate in activities and received a Renaissance card with rewards such as assignment “do-overs” and candy during lunch. 

“I think it’s a great incentive to want to get better grades and do better in school,” Ella Wong ‘29 said.

Other students also commented on the aspects of the event that encourage academic achievement, such as the various standards of GPA levels from Bronze to Platinum that unlock different prizes and rewards.

“[Renaissance] can help motivate me because then I know I have something fun to look forward to at the end [of the quarter] if I get good grades,” Abby Verboomen ‘28 said.

Students commented on the impact of the Renaissance Rally on school spirit and culture, as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors united to celebrate the achievements of the first quarter. 

“The highlight was just seeing everyone happy and connecting with each other and just having a great time,” Andres Hernandez ‘26 said.

Marking the end of the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year, the “Twilight” Renaissance Rally featured a multitude of activities for Dragons to enjoy as they connected with their peers and celebrated their academic accomplishments of the year so far. This event set the precedent for upcoming Rallies, displaying the work of ASB in recognizing and encouraging student performance.