Ripon High School “Indians” and “spirit” are synonymous as demonstrated at the start-of-school assembly Wednesday morning in the North Gym with some 900 students crammed into the stands.

Senior and student body president Blake Morrow donned the Indian chief’s costume and headdress, leading the students in a scenario of cheers and demonstrations.

Students were divided into the four class levels in the stands where they attempted to out-yell each other in a competition of spirit.  The entire student body voted for the loudest and the seniors won first place and the juniors took second.

The varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders went through a series of dance routines that drew excitement from the bleacher sections on both sides of the gym.

Ripon High Principal Lance Morrow welcomed the student body back to the campus he described as “one of the best in Central California.”  He urged students to look at the test scores, along with the academics and athletics’ accomplishments – “we are on top,” he added.

Morrow also noted that the JROTC made the national finals at the end of the last school year noting that was something to be proud of accomplishing.

He urged his students to “join the tribe” and become part of what Ripon High is all about: “helping each other from sports to the classroom.”

Vice Principal Keith Rangel took the microphone and spoke first to the new freshmen on campus, saying, “I want to get to know your names.  I’ll be out on the campus all the time if you have any questions.  Get involved, we have something for everybody,” he said.

Next week is club rushing on the Ripon campus.  Members of several clubs were dressed in varying attire to demonstrate their passions and memberships from the JROTC in uniform to the Multi-cultural club.