by Jack Snow
Many students felt unsatisfied after the Homecoming pep rally.
Eighth grader Vicky Tuttle had much to say on the issue; from the start, she had very high expectations. “I loved participating all week in Spirit Week and couldn’t wait for this rally,” Tuttle says. “Once we got into the gym it really felt like our official start to high school, dressed up all in red and white, sitting with my friends, feeling like we’re a part of it.”
But Tuttle felt there were drawbacks to being in the youngest grade. “It seemed like it was all about the seniors,” Tuttle said. “They won every award, they were the loudest, and nobody else really got into it.”
Tuttle says that she was confused by her grade’s “Most Spirited” picks. She felt that those students had not really gone over the top for Spirit Week.
She also has some suggestions for possible changes. “There needs to be more entertainment involved in future pep rallies, like a cheer routine. There needs to be something to get the crowd involved and pumped up,” Tuttle says. “I really hope we can make them better.”
The cheerleading squad could not participate this year to the same extent that they did in the past because they did not have all the members they needed to perform their competition piece. One member was absent for a college visit.
Senior Andrew Hatch also felt disappointed. “Most rallies before have had more music, dancing, and entertainment, but this one was lacking.”
Energy level was not an issue in Hatch’s mind, as he felt almost everyone in the school was on their feet and screaming to win “Most Spirited,” for example. The problem, Hatch believes, was the fact that there was not a whole lot going on. “I was bored for much of the rally,” Hatch says. “We were kept in the gym for about an hour, but it seemed like there was only about a half hour’s worth of activities planned.”
Hatch, however, does credit the cast of Godspell for trying to liven the crowd. “The Godspell performance could have helped make up for [the lack of energy and entertainment], but many of the instruments were nearly impossible to hear.”
He also had some suggestions for upcoming rallies. “To improve future pep rallies, there needs to be more engaging and entertaining activities performed. The dance team, gymnastics team, or cheerleaders could create a routine for the rally. Local bands could play. We could also play games like we do during field day, or a creative skit like Turkey Day.”
Spirit Committee member Shay Waldsmith believes that a crunch on time and a lack of involvement were to blame for any issues with this year’s rally. “I think the rally went okay considering the amount of time we had to prepare,” Waldsmith says. “The preparation process was not as successful as we hoped. For this rally, many students contributed in the making of the banners.” However, the spirit committee definitely needs more members, according to Waldsmith. “The same people attend the meetings and the majority of them are females,” she says.
Waldsmith agreed with what Tuttle and Hatch had to say about students’ reactions to the rally.
“At times I got a little frustrated with getting ready for the rally,” she says. “I think everyone was thrown off when we heard the rally was going to be almost a month earlier. We were rushing to get the banner done. We did not have time to add words to the bottom of our banner. The seniors were also really disappointed that they did not have time to organize a skit. ”
For the future, Waldsmith believes that specific changes need to be made with these rallies. “I think the big thing to do in the future pep rallies is to give everyone more time to prepare,” Waldsmith says. “I do not want the only reason why we didn’t include traditions is because we didn’t have time. I also think more kids will catch wind of what is going on and join in on the planning. Kids need time to plan their outfits for spirit week so they can go full out. Overall, I think time is crucial in having a successful pep rally.”
Like Waldsmith, Spirit Committee adviser Pam Porter believes the fact that the rally was a month earlier had a lot to do with it not meeting the expectations students set. “With the new schedule, change in advising, and 5C it was difficult to meet with students and get the planning under way.”
In addition to that, there were a lot of things taken out as a result of the time crunch, like the senior skit and cheerleaders’ routine.
Porter also commented on student involvement. “Participation in planning has been down the last two years, especially boys,” she says. “My first year as an adviser we had our best numbers. I think students know that their will be a rally either way so they don’t care to help. However, if it was canceled I am sure tons of them would complain. ” It is this that Porter believes must be changed in order to improve pep rallies.
“I hate seeing students complain about the rally, the letters, or the t-shirt designs when they did nothing to help. I would like to see students make it better on their own. All of the events put on by Spirit Committee are supposed to be student run. In the past the only thing that has gotten students’ attention is the cancellation of event (like field day a few years ago). ” Porter believes that we, the students, must take charge of this issue and work together. “The student body has to take ownership over the events not just Spirit Committee. If that doesn’t change then I don’t think the rallies will.”
There are still a couple more rallies left to get ready for, such as the Thanksgiving pep rally and Field Day. With participation low, only time will tell if the students of Hudson High will be able to change the face of our school’s spirit.
