What looked like a harmless ASB ping pong toss to win back prom money quickly turned into a high-stakes pivot. On May 16, students gathered around a curious setup in the plaza: plastic cups, a ping pong ball, and a chance to win $5, $10, or small prizes like pop-its. Designed to boost prom ticket sales and encourage socializing, the game drew a crowd—until administrators stepped in, concerned it resembled beer pong. With district board members on campus, ASB quickly reworked the game into a paddle-based challenge that kept the fun going.
“I feel like students will like this activity because I grew up in a household where we would play cup pong just for fun, so I feel like other people in my ethnicity would also love to play that game,” said ASB member Nathalie Garcia, 11.
Although the game was intended to create excitement and bring students together, the fun was short-lived. Minutes into the lunch period, the music faded and the game paused. Administrators stepped in with concerns: district board members were visiting campus, and the activity’s similarity to beer pong raised red flags.
“I think we just used our resources to come up with a different game, just to make it a little bit more engaging but still appropriate,” said ASB member Mia Abellar, 12.
Rather than shut it down completely, ASB quickly adapted. Members brainstormed a new format, repurposing the materials on the spot. This time, students competed in pairs, racing to bounce a ping pong ball into a center cup using small paddles.
As the lunch period neared its end, a final match drew cheers. Joel Peña, 12, stepped up with steady hands and focused eyes. On his third try, the ball arced perfectly into the center cup, earning him the $10 prize.
“At first, I was just messing around, but when it came down to the last shot, I had to lock in. Winning felt pretty great—not gonna lie,” said Peña.
