By: Emma Ferguson
November 1, 2026
October 17th, 2026, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual fall carnival. Held in the UPHS quad from 12:00 to 4:00 pm, this event was held to support the University Prep clubs, introduce future students to the UPHS community, and give students a spot to connect with each other outside of class. With club-run booths, the Panda Pack giveaways, and performances from the panda electives and academic clubs, this event was not only fun for students, but also left the UPHS legacy as the last fall carnival on the College of the Sequoias (COS) campus.
Starting at 12:00, students and families were welcomed by the combined choirs, who–led by Mr.Fritz–sang five songs. The songs they performed and wowed the crowd with were the Star-Spangled Banner, Tell My Father, Silver Rain, Double Trouble, and La La Land. Shortly after these songs, attendees got to watch the dance team as they performed to a mix of songs by Danielle Scanlon. These dancers spun and flipped to a combination of well-known Halloween songs such as Ghostbusters, The Monster Mash, Somebody’s Watching Me, and Thriller, as they amazed the watchers and, along with the choir, showed UPHS friends and family the community and talent University Prep pandas hold.
After these amazing performances from the choirs and the dance team, students were left to explore what the fall carnival had to offer. In Yokut 9, students found an array of baskets and cups filled with items donated by the students and families themselves. With gift cards, board games, socks, and so much more, students got to purchase tickets to enter a raffle in the hope of winning one or more of these prizes. In addition to these raffle prizes, students were also able to purchase tickets to play games at booths run by UPHS clubs. Many groups ran games, including Pep Band, B.I.G.S., Chess Club, and many more. Junior and leader of Science Olympiad, Red Cross Club, and Drama Club, Aurora Whitt said that her favorite stand would “have had to be the Science Olympiad one. The games (Pie-in-the-face and the Jail) were very creative and had lots of student contribution.” Another student, Sophomore Clarissa Gonzalez, said that her favorite stand had to have been “the Science Olympiad one” because she loved “seeing people get pied in the face.”
Alongside these club activities, attendees also enjoyed a variety of food and other performances throughout the four-hour event. Food included eight vendors: Bombshell Beans Coffee, Che’Che’s Tropical Snow, D’s Valley Rolls, Kaked by Kim Desserts, La Trailita Taqueria, Sol Bol Acai Superfoods, Lugas K’s Sweets, and Ricos Tamales Familia Ceja. There were also many performances from the UPHS electives and academic teams that went on during the carnival. Shortly after the dance team, there was an Introduction of the Academic teams, these being Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, Robotics, History Day, Academic Decathlon, and Step Up. At 1:15, the Symphony Orchestra played four songs: Dark Adventure, Plink, Plank, Plunk, Tambourine Swings, and Hungarian Dance No. 5. At 2:00, the Concert Band played three songs: From the Start, Stars and Stripes Forever, and Incredibles Main Theme. At 2:20, the Robotics team did a demonstration of their robot with President Elena Pelayo, Co-lead Oliver Anderson, Co-lead Clark Rolland, CAD lead/drive William Reardon, and Coding lead Luke Ferguson. Stage Combat with Mr.Rasner and his students took place at 2:30. Intermediate Bells then took the stage at 2:50, playing four songs: Muppets Theme, Mixolydian March, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and El Coqui, followed shortly after by the Advanced Bells that played three songs: Avengers, Colors of the Wind, and All American Hometown Band. The last group that performed was the Jazz band, who played songs In the Mood, Girl from Ipanema, and All of Me.
All in all, the 2026 UPHS fall carnival was a success. Raising hundreds of dollars for the University Prep clubs and giving the electives a place to show their talents, this carnival showed students, friends, and family of pandas exactly what makes UPHS such a great community. With this being the last fall carnival on COS campus, this event will let the memory and legacy of the UPHS carnival live on on COS soil.
