For 24 years, the LT community’s favorite part of the school year is the annual All School Assembly. Produced by Student Council, this event is one of the most treasured productions that LT has ever put into place. 

“It is the only event in a year’s time where our entire school, all of our students, all of our staff, our community get to come together and be in one space to connect with each other and just have fun,” principal Jennifer Tyrrell said. “You don’t get many opportunities to do that, and so my favorite part is everybody coming together and being together just enjoying the show.”

Planning begins almost immediately after homecoming in September and is non-stop until the live show in early February. This year, the All School Assembly was held on Feb. 7 and featured performances from favored clubs and sports such as Boys Football, the Marching Drum-line, Latinos Juntos, and the Steppers. 

“I don’t think that there is another time at LT that there is more school spirit, and energy in one spot,” Student Council President Jack Fielding ‘25 said. “It is the number one event and an experience you cannot describe. Having so many people all together in one spot makes it an amazing event.” 

Splitting up into four groups, outreach, activities, sound and spirit, and design, helps accomplish the goal of making planning as efficient as it can be, Fielding said. Each group takes on a different set of tasks. Outreach focuses on reaching out to clubs, sponsorships, and outside groups, while sound and spirit focus more on all promotion videos. The activities group plans all games and performances, and design is in charge of making all the decorations and spreading them between the campuses. 

“It is a tremendous sense of accomplishment, seeing all of the Student Council’s work over the months leading up to it finally coming to fruition and seeing them get to bask in the success and celebration when everything wraps up,” Director of Student Activities and Head Student Council advisor Peter Geddeis said. “To see everybody is leaving with a smile on their face. People literally around the world watch the All-School Assembly, and I think that is really a testament to how it has brought us together. People can stay connected to LT through All School years after they have left.”

For those not directly in the gym, LTTV’s livestream will be playing in both libraries, the PAC, and the Reber Center, Geddeis said. LTTV also records and uploads the entire assembly to YouTube. Ceremonies dating back for at least six years are available on their channel. 

“While it takes so long to prepare and plan, it makes it all worth it in the end when we hear the crowds cheering,” Student Council Vice President and Emcee Nadjia Neskovic ‘26 said. “My favorite part of the All School Assembly is probably the crowd. The freshmen are new, so they aren’t sure what to expect at first, but the sophomores and upperclassmen know what to expect and so they generally bring more of the spirit.”

Every year, the All School Assembly opens with the National Anthem and the LT Song, performed by the Pep Band, Madrigals, and ASL Club. This year, the introduction of emcees Fielding and Neskovic and a Mr. LT promotion followed the opening number. Following this were performances by Drum Line, Winter Guard, Bailando Con Todos, and games played by Social Action Project, Lions Den, Sustainability Club, and  Math Team. Later, during the assembly, each class board competed in a relay race, and a game of musical chairs followed. To end the assembly, Diamonds in the Ruff showcased their talents by bringing in four rescue dogs who paraded the floor while chasing frisbees and flipping. The assembly closed with a dance performance by the Boy’s Varsity Football team. 

“I feel super connected to LT,” Student Council Treasurer Mily Patel ‘26 said. “I get chills from the entire assembly and it is an indescribable feeling of just simply pride and joy to be there. The week of school leading up to Friday is my favorite part, with Sunday rehearsal and the spirit week, it’s super fun, and the vibe is just thrilling.” 

During the week leading up to the assembly, Student Council hosts a school-wide Rock, Paper, Scissors game. In this four-day-long game, students compete against each other to win beaded necklaces. If a student had five or more blue beads or one gold necklace, they were able to go against a faculty member. The winner of any Rock, Paper, Scissors game was awarded all of the beads the loser had. At the end of Thursday, Feb. 6, the top four bead holders secured a slot in the assembly to play the final rounds of the game and declared an all-school rock, paper, scissors champion. 

“To me, it’s fun being a part of [All School,] and it was really just good entertainment,” Student Resource Officer and LT graduate Kevin Comstock said. “I always enjoyed it and it was fun to give back in a way.” 

In the past, the featured guests have been a diverse group of entertainers. Last year, the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team performed for the students and showcased their talent by jumping and flipping over staff and students. The 2023 assembly showcased social media influencer Marco Piemonte, who came and held a contest giving away $10,000 to the first person to make a half-court shot.

“When you have events that are fun and build spirit, build culture, build climate, I think these events become part of your culture and so it’s something to look forward to,” Tyrrell said. “It’s something that is celebratory and meaningful because it’s the one chance to connect and get together and bring joy and enjoy who we are.”