The year rolled in—quite literally—with the school’s first event of the year. On Friday September 4th, students entered the campus under an archway of balloons, colored green, orange, red, purple and blue. Most of the girls were greeted by familiar faces of semesters past, but for the freshmen, this drive by was the prelude of the school’s finest spirit events.

For Ms. Martinez, Director of Admissions, Marketing and Communications, Welcome on Wheels exemplified the school’s hope that never once faltered after half a year of uncertainty. “It really reiterated OLLA’s spirit,” said Martinez, “I think people were hungry for this kind of event.” This unconventional approach to a spirit day gathered the staff and student body for a refreshingly cheerful day. With 76% total attendance, the seniors and freshmen made up a majority of participants, according to Martinez. “We had a great turnout,” she said. The school drive through reflected the hard work and attention to detail that funnels down into similar activities.

As cars glided in, students were greeted by school staff, including their class moderators. Senior class moderator Mrs. Miñoso reflected on her experience at the drive by and its impact on the staff. “The Welcome on Wheels event was an excellent opportunity for the faculty to come together for a common purpose,” Miñoso said, “So many faculty members were a part of the experience and really made the welcome back to school very special.” The staff are a major component of the school community that look forward to leisure time together as much as the girls themselves.

After collecting gifts from their booths, the cars departed as quickly as they drove in, and the campus was as hollow and empty as it was before: the hallways unrecognizably empty. Welcome on Wheels brought a sense of life into the community as a whole.