In preparation for a national competition in Florida, JROTC held a rally on Wednesday, April 29. This rally showcased two routines that JROTC took to their competition and had been rehearsing all year long.

To kick off the rally the MCs of the event, Marissa Regalo and TJ Hobbs, introduced Colonel Dunn. Dunn has been a fundamental part of the JROTC program at Ripon High, and this year he is retiring. He previewed the rally with a few words about how hard the students had worked. He also gave information about the upcoming trip to Nationals. After his brief introduction, the first team took their places and began to perform.

The first group to showcase their work was the Armed Team. Performing were four boys who had recently placed third at a competition. The quartet impressed the crowd by spinning and throwing rifles. Their ability to march together and carefully coordinate their movements caused loud applause from viewers.

After the Armed Team, the Unarmed Exhibition took the spotlight. This team was composed of 12 students, only one being male. The synchronized step routine proved the team had put in months of practice, memorizing and executing the routine perfectly.

JROTC is not for everyone, but those who do commit to the program learn the values of hard work, dedication, and collaboration. All those values were showcased at this rally.