During lunch on Sept. 3, several long lines full of hungry, boisterous students wound their way through the noisy quad. Each line led to several large, colorful bins filled with water bottles and tables covered in red plastic, where about 100 PTSO volunteers served free barbeque to eager students and staff.

The second annual school-wide BBQ event gave students and staff a warm back-to-school welcome with a variety of food options. With a budget of $3,500 for the event, the PTSO was able to serve students and staff hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and veggie burgers at designated stations marked with colored balloons. On the side, the PTSO offered Oreos, cookies, watermelon and a variety of chips.
“It’s a new school year, and we want to welcome everyone back. It’s a great way to kick off the new school year,” said PTSO Event Chair Michele Soung. “We had [prepared] enough food to feed 2000 people and by the end of lunch, all the food was gone. The students really seemed to enjoy the food and music, so we hope everyone had a lot of fun.”
Many students who enjoyed the barbeque felt it was a nice reminder that the parents are always supporting their kids.
“We really appreciate this lunch,” said junior Kellie Chiou. “It’s nice to know that the PTSO is willing to spend all that time planning a BBQ for the students.”