2019 was the year COVID was declared a pandemic. That was my freshman year of high school. The year started off with seeing so many people so hyped and happy to participate in things going on. The seniors wanted to win everything like the spirit sword during the pep rallies we had. It meant a lot to them, and I personally didn’t even understand why at that point. I just saw them being extremely happy about it.

In 2022, we had our first pep rally again before COVID. It was a whole different school besides my grade in it. This pep rally was based on the theme “spirit.” It included a game of musical chairs among all the grades and the spirit sword. That meant each grade had the chance to be included and contribute so no one felt left out. Comparing the different reactions from the school did not change. Members like Haffner said it turned out really well, even if they thought it was going to be violent at the start. The students like Hannah Scheuller said it was great to see something everyone enjoyed after a long period of violence at school. Both students and staff members noted that it was positive to have pep rallies.

In 2023, we learned that sometimes pep rallies have their own sets of pros and cons. Hosting the Winter Sports pep rally was a change of emotion from the crowd. It was the first time in many years that the winter sports athletes had been recognized, and it was late in their season as well. The pep rally appreciated the teams and then had a tug of war. Teams played against one another. Except, students in the stands were not amused. Some students said it was boring and they wish they could have just played instead. The staff even worried because not everyone looked like they knew what they were doing.

Who will create the pep rallies next year? No clue. Just know there will be another pep rally.