Red, Red, Gold, Gold: 3 out of 4 wins. If you’re not familiar with Rosary’s Red & Gold tradition, the concept of having three out of four wins and the colors red and gold might not seem significant to you. However, as a senior graduating in just two months, I will cherish this tradition forever.
I spent my freshman and sophomore year on Red Drill, an experience that I truly cherish. Whether it was practicing under the blazing sun, connecting with upperclassmen, enjoying team dinners or experiencing my first performance weekend, those two years were incredibly special to me as they brought me new friends and unforgettable experiences.
During my junior year, I had the opportunity to serve as Captain for the first time, and I was on Fashion. I was responsible for designing the costumes for senior Mieke Van Dijk’s dance. Being a captain was a challenging role that demanded a great deal of dedication, but seeing my costumes come to life on stage was an incredible experience. This role taught me the importance of meeting deadlines, overcoming obstacles, teamwork and cooperation. Along with being a Captain, I got to experience my first kickoff which is definitely one of my favorite parts of the Red & Gold season.
This year, my final year, I served as a Gold Captain. Initially, I was supposed to be a Historian, but when a position in Publicity opened up, I switched because I felt that it would be a better fit for me; deciding to be a pub captain was the best decision I could’ve made. Nothing will ever compare to Gold Pub 2025. Gold Pub truly began on Red & Gold Kickoff, when we invented the famous nickname “baby.” When flex schedule began, I looked forward to every flex with my pub babies: Anayra Reynoso ‘26, Alayna Votino ‘26, Gigi Simmons ‘26, Parker Yee ‘26 and Valerie Palomino ‘26.
Whether flex was spent fixing posters, cleaning the restroom, or visiting different categories, it was always such a fun time with Gold Pub. I think that being the only senior in a group of juniors is what made me cherish this captaincy a bit more. I made valuable connections with my junior Pub Captains which made me realize that this Red & Gold would be my last and that, in 2 months, I would have to leave my favorite juniors behind.
When asked about Gold Pub 2025, Head of Pub Parker Yee shares, “Gold Pub this year was the best. It was my first year being a captain and I couldn’t have asked for a different team to come together. We got extremely close during Kickoff and have been stuck together ever since! I couldn’t imagine Red & Gold without this group of girls. Every flex was so fun whether we were decorating the bathroom or putting up posters. One moment I will never forget was when Bella, Gigi and Anayra ran away from me during flex so I wouldn’t make them put up posters.”
I realized this year would be a good one when my best friend and Gold Producer Ava Barretto ‘25 excitedly approached my group of captains during our first meeting as our teams were announced, which told us that we were on Gold Team. Then, to top it off, on Red & Gold Kickoff, when each grade walked into the Karcher center after finding out their team color, my entire friend group ran up and told us they were on gold as well. I knew this year, our final year was going to be a great Red & Gold together.
I must say, my friends and I were a bit intimidated considering the Red-Gold pattern winning streak that lasted for 27 years. Red won in 2023 and Gold won in 2024, so my friends and I were almost ready to accept defeat, but we tried our best to keep our hopes up. We prayed and knew there were signs that maybe, just maybe, Gold would win. As soon as the gold confetti came out of the cannons, my friends and I were hysterical. Barretto states, “Seeing the gold confetti come out of the cannons was so surreal. It felt like all the hard work the Gold team put into the show truly paid off.”
We knew it was meant to be: we were all on Gold, our best friend was the producer, and it was our last time ever being a part of Red & Gold. Needless to say, Red & Gold 2025 was one for the books and an experience I will be talking about for way too long.
To Red & Gold, thank you for fostering beautiful friendships, enriching experiences and, most importantly, unforgettable memories. This is a tradition I will cherish forever and I look forward to sharing its story with my kids one day.
