Get ready Royals. It’s time to begin arguably the most beloved and exclusive Rosary Academy tradition…

Red and Gold.

Red and Gold, a hallmark of the Rosary experience, is not something many students take lightly.

Out of props, stage tech, choral, dance, drama, and drill, the entire student body is tasked with choosing their top three categories.

Then in January, the entire student body learns which category decides their fate for the Red and Gold season, designating what will be taking up their FLEX time for the next six weeks.

However, inevitably, not every student ends up with their top choice.

I know, disappointing.

Here’s what Mrs. Huerta ’10 and Ms. La Bonte ’09 had to say on the matter.

Mrs. Huerta said, “That’s what Red and Gold is all about! Trying new things and making new friends. I love when some girls, who are typically behind the scenes, want to try something on stage, or vice versa. Or if they’re a dancer, and they want to do drama. It’s kind of cool to see things like that happen. If a student doesn’t get their first choice, I would like them to embrace what they did get and find new opportunities in that.”

Ms. La Bonte added, “I think not getting your first choice is a growing opportunity. You get to try something new and go out of your comfort zone, which only happens for a short period of time.”

And they’re both definitely right. The lucky few who get their second choice might find that they actually quite like it. Who knows what secret passions Red and Gold practices may unlock?

It’s what happened to sophomore Mandy Puga. She said, “During my first Red and Gold, I had no idea how the categories worked. I looked at props and thought, ‘Oh, that looks fun!’ So I put that as my first choice. I also liked acting, so I put my second choice as drama. When the list came out, I was surprised I got drama. But I really had no idea how much I would love it. I made so many memories and made close friends that I still talk to today. So now this year, I’m a sophomore, and I picked drama again!”

It’s also what happened to senior Kate Simmons. She said, “My sophomore year Red and Gold, I was placed on drama even though I had put dance as my first choice. I may have cried throughout half of Red and Gold kickoff because I wasn’t put with my friends in the category I wanted. However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I had ever had at Rosary, and I have chosen drama for my category every year since.”

To conclude, Red and Gold is your chance to experiment! It gives you the opportunity to try out things you wouldn’t normally get to do. And as Mrs. Huerta said, “Sometimes you don’t realize you like something until you’re forced into that position. Sometimes you have to be forced to get out of your comfort zone a little bit.”

So if you didn’t get your first choice this time, don’t worry. You’ll have fun experiences regardless. And you’re bound to get your first choice at least once while you’re here at Rosary. Make the most of it, and enjoy it while it lasts!