For 90 years, Rock Rivalry has been more than just a competition at East Rockaway Junior/Senior High School — it has been a rite of passage. What began as a spirited contest among the high school classes has grown into a schoolwide tradition that unites all four of them in a week of teamwork, creativity and school pride.
From Sports Night and the annual volleyball event to choreographed entrance performances and student-built concession stands, Rock Rivalry blends athleticism, artistry and entrepreneurship into a memorable celebration of community.
The event began when the high school opened in 1936, and Principal Richard Schaffer said it is unique to the district. “This is the one thing the entire school community can point to, saying, ‘This is East Rockaway,’” Schaffer said. “. . . Former staff and alumni fly in just to judge and watch performances.”
This year, Sports Night took place on Feb. 12 in the school gym. The Quiz Bowl was scheduled for Thursday, followed by the volleyball competition, and the entrance performances will take place on March 13.
“Reaching the 90th anniversary of Rock Rivalry is a significant milestone because of how much it means to students and the community,” Schaffer added. “Around 75 percent of the high school participates, which is about 300 out of our 400 students” — the largest participatory event of the school year.
To attract even more students, event advisers added the Quiz Bowl. And the mural showing is open to the entire community.
“Rock Rivalry has classmates all working for a common goal . . . to win the cup,” Erin Lynch, a class treasurer at the time, wrote on the East Rockaway Gull website in 2023. “In order to be successful, especially in a competition like Rock Rivalry, collaboration is necessary. Everyone has the opportunity to build off of each other’s ideas and work as a team. Whether it is a tug of war during sports night or a dance number in entrance, victory is impossible unless everyone is on the same page.”
Rock Rivalry has lasted over the decades because of the value of tradition. “For the students, they see this as a legacy event,” Schaffer said. “They had parents and grandparents who participated. Our staff is really supportive of the event, and understanding of how important it is for the community.”
Competition and fun blend with the learning of real-life skills that student take with them after they graduate. “The value behind this event is so students learn to problem-solve, collaborate, build critical thinking skills, utilize time management,” Schaffer said, “and these are skills they’ll need once they leave our school.”
Alycia Fahrenkrug, a Rock Rivalry adviser and a 2011 East Rockaway High graduate, has coordinated Rock Rivalry for the past six years. “It becomes fun because of the skills you get exposed to, like building, choreographing entrance, and trying new things,” she said. “I really loved it.”
“Students become very close with their class during the weeks leading up to the performances of Rock Rivalry,” Fahrenkrug added. “Kids come together to showcase their talent. With the history behind it, parents and grandparents who have done it before them, paired with friendly competition, it gives the students something to look forward to. We had people opting not to go to private school because of Rock Rivalry.”
The entrance performances last 30 minutes, she said, and feature songs the students have written and dances they’ve choreographed, accompanied by their own bands. The event has the highest point value in the competition.
Rock Rivalry doubles as a student fundraiser, with the money from ticket sales benefiting each class when they become seniors, funding the prom, the senior banquet and the senior trip.
“The students start as early as ninth grade to build for their senior year,” Fahrenkrug said. “They sell snacks during the entrance performance, Friday night before the performance and during the intermission. They use functioning concession stands that the students build, and they put a lot of effort into it.”
The competition pairs the odd-numbered grades, ninth and 11th, and the even-numbered, 10th and 12th, as sister classes. “There’s a role they play for each other — if they need anything, they’re advised to go to their sister class,” Fahrenkrug explained. “We had upper classmen help younger students get started on murals. Each class had a color jersey, and swapped with their sister class to show support. It’s really nice to see.”
The most emotional part of Rock Rivalry, she said, is the Friday midnight announcement of the winning class.
“I am so happy something so special exists,” Lynch wrote in 2023. “I have made many friends, walked away with many life lessons, and unforgettable memories. Although the competition has its craziness, as well as ups and downs, it always ends with a community united because of it.”
