Everybody loves Rock Rivalry. Seriously, how could you not? From Quiz Bowl, to volleyball, to Sports Night, to Entrance, and everything in between, Rock Rivalry is a staple in our town that is steeped in tradition and pride. There’s the teamwork, the creativity, the class pride, and let’s be honest, some good old fashion teen drama thrown in. But for the second year in a row, our beloved Rock Rivalry has been taken from us by Coronavirus. There are tentative plans as to what Rock Rivalry will look like this year (see the list of dates at the bottom of the article), and with these plans in place, I asked class advisors and presidents how they want to get students involved with activities this year. 

The ninth grade has it pretty bad this year. They haven’t seen a real Rock Rivalry since 7th grade, and usually, that viewing is confusing. I remember watching Rock Rivalry from the balcony of the auditorium as a 7th grader and wondering what was going on (while pestering the person next to me to explain the process). The class of 2024 has been thrown into this whirlwind of planning and modified events with social distancing. Freshman class co-president Matt Larin told me that he is trying his best to keep his class positive and excited. He doesn’t want his classmates to feel stressed and he wants to do his best to keep this tradition alive. 

One of the sophomore co-presidents, Julia Passinissi, told me “I feel that with Coronavirus, many students haven’t been able to see each other and Rock Rivalry brings classes together, so we need Rock Rivalry more than ever to come together and I hope many students will participate in modified activities.” The other co-president of the class, Chase Vertuccio, agreed with Julia. He wants to see all classes come together to have a good time given this opportunity to participate. Advisor Mr. Gerken is worried that students will not want to bother with modified activities. He urges students to grab their friends and participate in as much as you can. 

Junior advisor Mr. Howard said, “We want to keep students motivated by selling pizza on Fridays when the weather gets warmer. I just want everyone to remember that everybody is somebody in East Rockaway.” Ms. Volpe, also a junior advisor, was happy to share her excitement for Rock Rivalry and said this: “Mr. Howard and I share information with our class as soon as it becomes available regarding Rock Rivalry.  This is done through google classroom, bulletin board, and our class chairmen/officers.  The best way to keep our students motivated and excited is to keep them in the loop.  We know this year is different but we will always do our best to keep the excitement of Rock Rivalry alive!”

The Senior class undoubtedly have the biggest challenge. They have missed the two major years of Rock Rivalry in which classes tend to show the most growth. When I found Mrs. Best, senior class advisor, I asked her about the upcoming modified Rock Rivalry and the senior class in general. She said that every student should play a role just like years past and have the same school spirit we have always had. Mrs. Best and her co-advisor Ms. Castellano are so proud of their seniors and how far they have come in just four years. 

NEW ROCK RIVALRY DATES (as of 2/22/21)

• Rock Rivalry Virtual Parent Meeting 7pm on 2/24
• Rock Rivalry Volleyball 12 noon on 3/6
• Rock Rivalry Quiz Bowl periods 8 & 9 on 3/24
• Rock Rivalry Sports Night 5:30 and 7:30 on 3/24
• Rock Rivalry Virtual “Entrance” on 4/23

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