My transfer from O’Dowd to CVHS

Exactly one year ago I attended one of the biggest basketball games of the season, with CVHS going against archrival Bishop O’Dowd. Loud roars of the anxious crowd pumped up both teams.

For this heated game, I dressed in all yellow and black, made signs and every time O’Dowd made a point I screamed, “Go Dragons!” Yes, I know what many people are thinking: “You go to Castro Valley, why would you cheer for O’Dowd?”

My freshman year I was a Dragon with mild dislike for Castro Valley just like my peers.  I first thought the CVHS kids were loud, obnoxious, and rude with bad sportsmanship. As O’Dowd lost both games against Castro Valley that year, the schools’ dislike for each other just became worse and more competitive.

Attending Bishop O’Dowd, a private Catholic high school, was a very different experience after growing up in public schools. I really liked O’Dowd because it prepares students for college and gives them an idea of what they want to do in life. One of the reasons the tuition is very expensive is because O’Dowd can guarantee that the majority of their students will succeed.  I also liked the student life and especially the activities leadership organized.

The reason I transferred to Castro Valley was purely because of the high tuition. During both semesters many people dropped out because of the bad economy. Annual tuition is about $15,120 plus a pledge of $1,200 plus a $900 deposit, and if you’re planning on doing extracurricular activities like sports or performing arts, it costs even more money.

It was a big deal for me to transfer to Castro Valley. Most of my former O’Dowd peers were shocked. Out of all schools, why pick O’Dowd’s biggest rival? I always said, “It wasn’t my decision but after I moved to Castro Valley it was the only option.”

Even though I was once against CVHS, I’ve grown to like my new friends, classes and teachers.

Exactly one year later I attended a game that was anticipated to be the best game of the season again, Castro Valley versus Bishop O’Dowd. This game did not have such a hyper crowd like last year, and the Trojan Den was smaller. The Dragons got revenge and beat the Trojans and one of their chants that stunned the Trojan Crowd was “We’re going to college.” Although students are smart at Bishop O’Dowd, they are not smart enough to know that CVHS is one of the highest performing high schools in California.

It was hard to go to this game because it was sad to see all my friends from freshman year on the other side of the court. But, this year I made posters and supported my fellow Trojans.