As the school year comes to an end and students prepare for spring review week, Carlmont High School’s annual Scotsland event filled the quad with games, food, club activities, and special guests, including llamas.
The event, organized mostly by Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB), gave clubs the chance to showcase what students have worked on throughout the school year. Many clubs created presentation boards to share information about their clubs, while others, like the Art Showcase Club, had paintings and drawings on display for students to admire.
Scotsland also gave students time to relax and spend time with their friends before the stress of finals began. During lunch, students crowded the quad to buy food and participate in activities. Long lines formed around popular attractions like the Mister Softee ice cream truck and the live llamas.
Sophomore class president Quinn Diamond said planning for Scotsland began long before the event and was mainly organized by ASB’s assemblies committee.
“The assemblies committee has been working hard for a very long time on this event,” Diamond said.
Diamond explained that organizing Scotsland requires communication and planning between many different clubs and organizations.
“The event took a little over a month to plan because it took a lot of coordination with all the clubs and organizations,” Diamond said.
ASB members helped organize the quad layout, assign tables to clubs, and prepare games for students. ASB also created its own activity for students to participate in.
Class officers assigned to the human slot machine gave participating students a piece of candy, regardless of the outcome.
“Along with this, we also brought in big llamas that the students found super cool and fun,” Diamond said.
As the event began, students quickly filled the quad, creating a loud, energetic environment. Club members sold food, advertised their clubs, and encouraged students to learn more about their activities.
Diamond believes the event helped students feel more connected to the school community. She said it raised school spirit among the student body and was a great way to start the three-day weekend.
Sophomore Sofia Wolles, a member of Carlmont’s dance team, experienced Scotsland both as a student and as someone who was helping run a fundraiser booth. The dance team sold boba drinks during the event to help raise money for future team activities. The fundraiser was very successful, and the team fully sold out.
“It’s been really fun looking at all the clubs and seeing new people and also trying new foods,” Wolles said.
Even though the event became crowded and overwhelming at times, Wolles said it helped students.
“I definitely think that meeting new people, interacting with people, and trying new foods was my favorite part,” Wolles said.
Sophomore Kylie Tseng said her favorite part of Scotsland was the variety of food available in the quad.
“My favorite part about Scotsland is getting to see all the different foods and trying them,” Tseng said.
Similar to Wolles, Tseng agreed that the event could be crowded and overwhelming at times. However, she still believed Scotsland helped bring students together and build a stronger sense of community.
“I think Scotsland shows everything that the school has to offer and how the kids can all come together and participate in one big thing,” Tseng said.
As Scotsland ended, students left the quad with food, prizes, and information about clubs they may join in the future. For many students, the event served as a celebration of the school year before review week began.
