Confetti exploded and cheers erupted from the crowd as the Class of 2024 ended the last Homecoming skit of the week on Thursday, Sept. 28. The Mario Kart-themed skit featured a girls’ dance, boys’ dance and co-ed dance, as well as a choreographers’ dance and Color Guard and Andhangraas performances.
Traversing the MVHS Track, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser set out to save Assistant Principal Mike White, who was kidnapped during senior portraits. After running into Monty and El Toro, who had found White, the final part of the skit revealed that Bowser had kidnapped White so he could stay with his friends forever. The skit concluded with an affirmation of lasting friendship between the four friends, even after graduation. Senior Srushti Batni, who directed the skit, intended to encapsulate the Class of 2024’s experiences throughout high school while incorporating elements of the characters’ personalities.
“I’m so humbled and grateful that everyone committed to it and it came out well,” Batni said. “I think [Homecoming] is definitely taxing, but it’s also super rewarding. I’m glad I was involved in it for a long time, and I’m glad people who hadn’t been involved before tried it out their senior year.”
Starting in the summer, senior and choreographer Pranai Raina used Instagram and word of mouth to get as many participants as he could for the boys’ dance.
“I tried incorporating everyone, because I wanted everyone to have their spotlight and their own show,” Raina said. “I wanted to create a good performance for everyone to love.”
The seniors arrived at 7 a.m. on Sept. 28 to run through the skit a final time. After holding two to three-hour practices every day during lunch and after school to teach the choreography, Raina says the final performance was amazing and “the best thing [he] could ever ask for,” thanking everyone who participated.
“For this one, I wanted to teach people how to breakdance because that’s where my home is,” Raina said. “That’s where I come from — I do hip hop and dancing. It was a little difficult in the beginning because it’s hard to teach dance to 40 people, especially boys, but I’m happy that had fun. Everyone had a good time and everyone gave their heart out.”
