The Class of 2027 performed its Pac-Man themed Homecoming skit on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The skit followed ‘80s character Pac-Man, played by freshman Ronit Kuila, as he tried to rescue his son, Pac-Man Jr., played by Richie Yu, from the four ghosts who kidnapped and held him for ransom. Woven into the plot was a girls’ dance performed to “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna and “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga as well as two boys’ dances performed to “Cupid” by FIFTY FIFTY and “Beat It” by Michael Jackson.
Leadership teacher and Class of 2027 advisor Ken Gan says the freshmen performed well despite the natural difficulty that comes with acting and dancing in front of peers.
“For an incoming student here at Monta Vista, having the courage to stand up [on] stage in front of a couple hundred of their fellow classmates of all grades can be intimidating,” Gan said. “But they persisted – they continued to recruit, and I thought participation was fantastic.”
In terms of preparations, Gan had minimal involvement, since the student team did everything from choreographing the dances and writing the skits to coordinating the practices. As a class officer, Kuila was heavily involved in the planning and performing.
“The biggest challenge was getting everyone together [when] rehearsing because [people] would be all over the school [and] we would have to collect [them] and bring them [to practice],” Kuila said. “There was definitely a lot on our shoulders, but we pulled through.”
Freshman class officer Christina Ong, who acted and danced in the skit, feels that the skit exceeded her expectations and looks forward to next year’s production.
“I’ll most likely participate next year — I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the new skits and ideas,” Ong said. “I definitely think more people should do it, it’s not that big of a commitment at all.”
Kuila and Gan both agreed, reflecting on the freshmen’s showcase with pride despite logistical challenges earlier in the process.
“I’m so unbelievably proud of their achievement today,” Gan said. “I’ve seen firsthand how hard they’ve been working on this – practicing at lunches, the efforts they’ve been putting [in] to create the backdrops and the camaraderie they’ve had together as a class. It was one of the best skits that a ninth grade [class] has produced and performed. It’s just absolutely inspiring.”
