On Saturday, September 15, North Hollywood High School hosted its annual HGM picnic from 11am-3pm, organized by Friends of the HGM. The picnic was an opportunity for HGM students, families, and teachers to get to know each other, participate in fun activities, and learn more about the program.
Of course, the main attraction of the picnic was the food: pizza and Korean barbecue. Every HGM picnic always features barbecue prepared by our Korean students’ parents, reflecting the large Korean student population in the HGM. Although both options cost money, attendees later enjoyed a free ice cream social, in which they made their own sundaes and ice cream soda floats. During lunchtime, a Team and Club Fair took place, in which clubs such as Magnitude, Botball, and Empower advertised themselves to students and parents. Some clubs showcased their trophies and other accomplishments, while others raised money or provided applications to be in the club. In Empower’s case, for example, we had a basket of donations for future events run by our club, such as our upcoming feminine hygiene product drive.
Students had multiple chances to compete and win points for their HGM Houses. one way to win House points was simply show up to the picnic and sign in. Games such as Jeopardy, hosted by the Quiz Bowl club, were another way to earn House points. In one game, each House had students had to fill up a water bottle by lining up and pouring water into the next person’s cup from behind. Participants had to be careful not to spill the water, promoting teamwork in the process. Also present at the HGM picnic was a slackline between two trees set up by slackline aficionado Mr. Nguyen: our Algebra II and AP Statistics teacher and the newest addition to the HGM team. There, people had fun attempting to keep their balance while getting a good workout.
The picnic concluded with a raffle. Among the prizes were two gift certificates for Carter Sexton Artist’s Materials (one of which I was lucky enough to win), a gift certificate for Big Time, and a basket full of Rubinstein MD skincare/anti-aging goodies donated by the Rubinstein family. Although tiring, the HGM picnic was fun and engaging overall. If you missed this year’s picnic, there’s still the winter potluck next semester!