Revved up with energy and excitement, automotive held its first CTE expo and car show on Saturday, Sept. 14. The show featured a flashy and distinctive assortment of cars, with multiple activities, games and food vendors that kept the fun rolling. 

Held at the campus’s student parking lot, the show intended to raise money for the Automotive Students & Skills Club (RAMS) and the CTE department.

“All of the clubs that meet together, the little groups, those are going to be represented [and] that’s the whole goal,” Automotive Technology teacher Jason Glass said. “That’s [what will] make it successful. Everybody gets to be exposed and the community sees it.”

Multiple clubs advertised their contributions to the community through volunteering and organizing activities offered to pre-registered visitors free of charge. RAMS and JROTC helped direct traffic and manage registration booths. Additionally, FCCLA ran a ring toss, Art Club offered face painting and PALS monitored a bounce house for young children. 

“Our whole department is all about helping kids and choosing kindness,” senior Brenna Hoffman said. “So, whenever [PALS] come to an event like this, of course [we’re] going to work with the kids because [we] want to give them joy and show them a good example.”

The development of the show has been in discussion for nearly two years, with multiple clubs, organizations and CTE classes sharing involvement. 

“There’s a big community of car people that love to go to car shows,” Glass said. “They like to show off their cars and what they’ve done or what they’ve collected over the years.”

The car show featured a variety of unique cars, such as antiques, hot-rods, modified cars and newer custom models from sponsored dealerships. Attendees had the opportunity to vote on cars, with the option of selecting between multiple categories such as People’s Choice and Best Paint. 

“I just want everyone to have a good time [and] see all the cool cars that are showing up,” senior Daniel Nazari said. “[There are] all these fun things happening. I just want to see smiles on their faces.”

Category winners were each awarded a hand-made trophy constructed by welding students. A total of 14 trophies were handed out by Principal Vincent Hawkins, including the Principal’s Choice Award. 

“We’ve coordinated with other people to have a way to judge the cars,” Glass said. “We have amazing, cool awards. They’re not just a standard little trophy, they’re a neat piece that hangs over the wall.”

Seventy vehicles registered to attend the show, including two cars submitted by Rouse’s Automotive Technology class. The registration and sign-up for the show revealed roughly 400-500 attendees.

“A lot of the highlights for me were simply seeing people from the community,” Glass said. “We saw close to 20 of our own Rouse graduates that were there. That was really neat to see those guys because they’re model citizens of the community, they’re working and they’re being productive community members.”

While the profit has not been fully calculated, it’s estimated that the show raised approximately $3,000. 

“We’re trying to push it towards funding for when we go on tours or state competitions,” Nazari said. “We want to make sure we have the funds to get there safely and as reliably as possible.”

With discussion among the CTE department already stirring up, the CTE Expo and car show is likely to return next year, with slight adjustments and hopes of an even greater turnout. 

“We may be exhausted when we’re done, but when we’re all said and done, there’s going to be connections made,” Glass said. “If we just stay inside the classroom and the community stays out in the community, they don’t know the crazy cool things that we do here at Rouse. So, this is [CTE and Automotive’s] chance to shine.”