‘Tis the season to be jolly, and that’s exactly what the cheerleaders are doing. Other than bringing spirit to the basketball games, the cheerleaders are having their annual Christmas party Thursday to end exam week.

“I’ve never been to a Christmas party before, so I’m really excited for it,” said sophomore Sophia Pliego, who joined the team this year. “I’ve seen pictures and everyone always tells me how great it is. I also think it’s a great bonding experience to help us get closer as a team.”

Although the junior-varsity and varsity cheerleaders are welcome to attend, the seniors are planning the party and are arranging to have it in the remodeled cafeteria. Mariah Jones is one of seniors who is helping set up the party.

“I’ve been on the team for five years and I’ve been to all five Christmas parties,” she said. “It’s really about team bonding, so we split up into groups and have fun competitions and games. We all bring food and have dinner together and after dinner we do a gift exchange. It’s super fun to see all the gifts people bring. We also do a dance competition, sweater, and Christmas attire competition.”

By Alysa Taylor