Growing up, pep rallies appeared in many different forms. First, I always thought it was a gathering of students before a game. Second, it also meant an excuse to miss almost an hour of school and third, it was just another way to force students to have school spirit. Then, I made my way to high school and it was a huge change from what I had previously perceived as a pep rally. These pep rallies were no where near as exciting. The student body has to sit in the blazing sun or possibly freezing weather and watch members of sports teams have fun on the field while the audience are bored out of their minds.
It seemed as though only a select group of students were involved in the festivities, only acknowledging sports teams and their victories. As a community, we should be there for our teams like giving our moral support.
However, not everyone likes sports. Yes, it might sound crazy but it’s true. Some people want to see something a little different. “I think they have a day where they introduce them but if they want to they can acknowledge them because they put work into their clubs also.” said social studies teacher Mr. Mazza.
We don’t give support to other clubs, especially the band. They come to every game or at least the important ones to play for us and not once they are recognized for their work at a pep rally. They work out, practice and go to competition like an athletic would so why shouldn’t they be celebrated? The music program here at Westhill are very active, so is Yearbook, JROTC Drill team, Color Guard, Raider team,Mock Trial, MYLC, Interact Club, GSA, etc. All these clubs somehow contribute to our school, it makes up of what our school is capable of and we don’t want to only be looked as a school who are only worry about sports. “I think that if non-athletic clubs like the band continue to win awards, they should be acknowledged in some way during the rallies,” said Keity Suarez (’12) If one of our non-academic clubs wins an award or places in a competition, they should be acknowledged in front of their peers in the same way that exceptional students athletes are.
“I think non-athletic clubs should be celebrated at pep rallies because it shows how diverse and how many clubs you could be apart of at Westhill High School,” said Konstantina Glekas (’12). It’s clear that pep rallies are more exciting when everyone is involved.
