Rosary’s most beloved tradition of Red and Gold has begun and I, Jazzy Sandoval, am ready to take on the excitement. This will be my third Red and Gold, and I want to share my past experiences to show why Red and Gold is so special.
My freshman year, I was on Red Drill, and I remember being excited, but hesitant because I did not know what to expect. I realized how involved the school was in this production on the first day of flex practice.
Everyone was trying their best to pickup choreography, so they would be put in the front row. At first I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way, but by the end of the first week, I was fighting for a front row spot with them.
On the weekend of the performance, I was so excited. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed the first day because I didn’t realize how fast the shows go by. When it was time for my drill to perform on stage for the first time, I remember I couldn’t stop shaking, but once the music started, I relaxed and didn’t miss a move.
Even while waiting for Gold Team to perform, I had a blast. It felt like a huge team bonding while waiting in the gym. We would dance, tumble, fix hair and makeup, and perform our dances and drills for each other as practice. Everyone wanted to keep our energy and spirits high throughout the whole weekend.
Once we finished all of our performances, we waited in the gym for the announcement of who won. Unfortunately, Red Team lost, but it didn’t spoil my experience. I was happy for my Gold friends who won, and excited for Red and Gold to come around again.
My sophomore year, I felt even more ready for Red and Gold because I knew what to expect and what my goals for this year were. I got put on Gold Drill and I couldn’t wait to start practicing. After knowing what it felt like to lose, I was hungry for a win. Even though I didn’t have any control over the show, I was determined to do whatever I could to win.
The weekend of the show, I was so pumped, until I got sick. I came down with a serious case of Red and Gold flu. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t want it to get in the way of my favorite weekend. I pushed through and survived off of adrenaline and cough drops.
To make matters worse, it was raining all weekend. The Servite parking lot was flooded and it felt like and obstacle course to get through it dry.
Once it came down to performance time, all my other problems left my mind and I remembered how badly I wanted to win. I put my heart and soul into all my performances and hoped our team did enough to beat Red.
When it was finally time for the winner to be announced, I was confident the streamers would shoot out gold. I could feel it in my bones: victory was so close. As they finished up accommodations, I could feel the nerves racing in my body.
Unfortunately, Red Team won. My disappointment turned into anger pretty quick and it was hard to hide my difference of opinion. Taking two losses in a row hit me hard and that’s when I knew I needed redemption.
This year I have taken the responsibility of being co-producer on Red Team. If I want to see what it feels like to win, I know I can do it with help from my producer Ava Fishman ’24. I am beyond excited for this year and I cannot wait to reveal Red Team’s production. Go Red!
