It’s every high schoolers favorite time of year. The school spirit is high, everyone is excited, and the pep rally is about to take place. Oh wait… but it’s not the fall. Glen Rock High School’s spring pep rally takes the classic concept of a well-known tradition that high school students cherish and turns it into an event that celebrates all athletes, not just those from the fall. The energy radiates across the school as people get ready to celebrate winter and spring sports.
The school’s second annual Spring Pep Rally took place on Friday, April 11th, during the last two periods of the school day. Leading up to this was the Student Council Spirit Week, where students could dress up as their favorite teachers, twin with peers, and indulge in more fun days. Even with this, there appeared to be a noticeable decline in participation and enthusiasm at this pep rally compared to the one in the fall.
Jillian Hoza, the Student Council Secretary, worked extremely hard on the pep rally for countless weeks, along with her team, making sure that everything was perfect for when the day finally came. She said, “We love the idea of a spring pep rally because it gives light to student athletes in the winter and spring. It’s like a celebration of all their senior accomplishments, without just focusing on the classic fall sports. My favorite part of each pep rally is seeing the captains speak about their teams, and honoring their seniors, and it’s great to let each captain of any sport have the opportunity to do this.”
Emily Sanders, a girls lacrosse captain echos the concept which Student Council was aiming to achieve, “I loved being recognized in the pep rally because it makes it feel like my sport, which I consistently pour hours of my time into, is just as appreciated and on the same pedestal as football was on in the fall.” Her appreciation reflects what the pep rally set out to do, but even with these meaningful moments, the overall atmosphere didn’t quite match the energy of the fall.
To try to get ahead of the anticipated lack of enthusiasm, the student council came up with the idea to give out prizes to students who were the best dressed each day, but this still didn’t seem to make a lot of students show up. Student Council Vice President Mia Benyamin shares, “We spent a lot of time deciding fun days and the student incentives, but at the end of the day it is super hard to get student engagement. I think the pep rally in general had a lot less spirit this time around because there wasn’t much to get pep for… like big spring sport games… Also, since it was the last day before spring break, students’ heads were in another place as they were either leaving for trips or already away.”
Undeniably, student’s tend to have more energy and enthusiasm towards the fall pep rally because of the exciting events surrounding it, such as the homecoming game and school dance later that weekend. The spring pep rally didn’t seem to be just as loud and energetic, and students weren’t as eager to participate in the games. With that, students were still ready to scream the classic “Sit down freshman!” chant, and to cheer on their classmates who did choose to play the games. The gym erupted as the seniors took on the teachers in the annually notable game of dodgeball.
The fall MC’s stole the stage again this spring, and Mia Benyamin, Vivaan Montwani, and Jillian Hoza all brought passion to the gym as their perfectly curated script came to life. While the overall spirit may not have matched the fall rally, the dedication behind the event was remarkable. Seeing the crowd of students, a sea of grey, white, red, and black, along with the exceptional decorations, created an irreplaceable feeling for everyone. A special thank you to the Student Council for bringing this idea to life and for infusing spirit into the halls, even in a week filled with distractions.
