With the end of the third quarter comes yet another Renaissance Rally at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech), this time, a Disney-Pixar movie Cars-themed one. On March 20, students flooded into the quad, decorated with Cars paraphernalia, to represent the infamous Lightning McQueen’s racing story. The Renaissance Rally is given to students who have achieved academic excellence during the past quarter and to celebrate the end of the quarter.
Hosted by the Associated Student Body (ASB), Dragons were able to participate in jolly jump houses, a photo booth and temporary tattoos, all reflecting the theme of Cars. Students who achieved any form of renaissance were also able to spin a wheel for a prize.
To cool off after a hot spring day, ASB served food and drinks, including iced lemonade and sodas. Paired with the drinks were mini donuts with chocolate drizzle or powdered sugar, inspired by Speedway snack items.
A theme consistent throughout the rally was celebrating student academic success, something some students found unique to Foothill Tech.
“The Ren Rally represents students trying their best in grades, and how some schools don’t get celebrated for it, but here at Foothill Tech, you do,” Danali Lopez ‘29 said.
The Renaissance Rallies are opportunities for students with a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or a 0.5 GPA to enjoy an interactive break from the rigorous coursework of high school. Dragons are also given “Ren Cards,” which are active until the end of the year, that offer excelling students perks such as assignment redos, late passes and a front-of-the-lunch-line pass.
Although the event is an uplifting and celebratory time, there is a bittersweet undertone as it is the last Renaissance Rally for the class of 2026.
“At Ren Rallies, I always love getting free food and listening to the music. It is something to look forward to. It is my last Ren Rally, so I just want to have fun and make memories,” Emilia Linder ‘26 said.
Before the Renaissance Rally was a spirit week, also going along with the Cars theme. At the beginning of the week, Dragons wore green on March 17 in honor of St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the holiday. The following days relate to the different themes displayed throughout the movie, such as western wear for Radiator Springs, color coordination with fictional characters and outfit themes for elements related to race cars.
As the race to the end of the year began, the tradition of Renaissance Rallies gave Dragons the break they needed. The Cars theme opened a variety of activities that engaged school spirit and kicked off the last week of quarter three. Overall, the event displayed the hard work of Foothill Tech’s ASB and students.
