Life Behind Pep Rallies: Hudson High Spirit Committee Builds Hawk Pride

HUDSON–The spirit committee is designed for students to work together to organize and plan pep rallies, including choosing themes, planning games, and encouraging participation. Pep rallies often feature performances by the dance and cheer teams, interactive games, and celebrations of sports teams and other school events, all aimed at bringing students together. 

Although pep rallies may only last an hour, the planning behind them takes weeks of organization from the school’s spirit committee.

 “The main goal of our pep rallies is to build a stronger sense of school community,” said senior Sofia Tenaglia,

Tenaglia is a long-standing member of the committee who hopes to uplift the Hudson High School experience. 

 “We want students to feel excited about being part of our school, increase overall Hawk Pride, and encourage support for school activities.”

Tenaglia explained that while athletics are often the focus, the committee hopes to eventually highlight a wider variety of student activities.

“We try to choose themes that are fun and creative, but also simple enough that a large number of students will participate,” said Tenaglia

The process begins with brainstorming. Committee members collaborate to develop themes, often inspired by holidays or major school events. They aim to create ideas that are both fun and accessible to a wide range of students. Once a theme is selected, the committee moves into organizing the event. This includes planning the schedule, writing scripts for the student Master of Ceremonies (MC), rehearsing, and gathering materials. 

“There’s actually a lot that goes into it,” said Zack Styn, a member of the spirit committee. “The first thing is deciding what events are going to happen and in what order… then the MCs need to make a script and rehearse.”

Selecting games and activities is another key part of the process. The committee focuses on keeping activities simple, engaging, and inclusive.

 “We try to pick games that are fun, easy to understand, and involve as many people as possible,” Styn said. “We don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t participate for any reason.”

However, organizing pep rallies is not without challenges. 

Tenaglia further said that the committee sometimes faces pushback from administration due to concerns about safety, time away from class, and logistics. 

Additionally, keeping everything running smoothly during the rally can be difficult. 

“There are a lot of moving parts, so staying organized and prepared is really important,” Styn said.

Even with these challenges, the impact of a successful pep rally is clear. 

“We consider a pep rally successful if students are engaged and enjoying themselves in the moment,” Tenaglia said.

Speaking about the outcome of Hudson High’s most recent pep rally, Styn noted

“You can tell it was successful if the crowd is engaged, people are cheering, and everyone leaves in a good mood.” 

Both Styn, Tenalia, and the Spirit Committee as a whole encourage others to get involved. 

¨Just don’t be afraid to share ideas and be a little outgoing,” Styn added. “It’s all about having fun and helping create an experience for the whole school.”