The Truth About The Pep Rally Through The Eyes of a Senior

Leading Up To The Final Pep Rally

By, Nefertiti Cooper

A long standing tradition at , University High School is our annual winter pep rally. Our school is like no other. A University High School pep rally is more than just a celebration for the beginning of the basketball season, but a special event where students are recognized, specifically the seniors. For 3 years, and 5 years for the most of us, we have watched the senior class come and go. We’ve watched them perform during pep rally, annoy us with their childish pranks, and begin a new chapter of life. Finally, this was our year, and an emotional pep rally lead us to the realization that our time is just around the corner.

Prior to the pep rally, I was very excited and emotional. It felt so surreal. Who would have thought that our time would approach us so fast? The week of the event I was filled with so much adrenaline that I barely did any work, or attended any classes. My mind was so focused on what seemed like a pep rally that would never occur. I spent my lunch period watching the senior dancers prepare and practice. I could tell they really worked hard on each dance that was performed considering it was their last and they had to go out with a bang! I also prepared the senior mural that unfortunately could not be displayed at pep rally.

As a class, we decided on our senior gear that only seniors get the privilege of designing. Although everyone was not 100% happy with the jackets, they ended up not being as bad as we thought. A few seniors even decorated their backs. We practiced how we would make our grand senior appearance into the gym in front of the whole school days prior to ensure there would be no flaws. Lastly and probably most importantly, we discussed our soon to be, heart-breaking senior prank. Every year, a big perk that comes with being a senior is the privilege to perform pranks during pep-rally to the juniors. This year, we practiced and decided on a prank that included throwing confetti and spraying silly string as the juniors came down the stairs to enter the gym.

With everything organized and on schedule, this year's final pep rally was sure to be the best. The Class of 2018 would go out with a bang and the school would remember our names.

The Day of the Final Pep Rally

The day of pep rally, I witnessed “University’s Finest” everyone came to school with their hair prepped in rollers, up in pin curls, makeup done, and new outfits. It was really a big deal! The cheerleaders applied silver glitter to their eyes and practiced their cheers in the auditorium. The loud instruments from the brand practice rung and echoed throughout the hallways. Everyone was in chaos running throughout the school excited, and panicking.

The seniors and juniors were in tight competition. Word got out about the planned prank, and juniors decided to retaliate. Rumor had it that the juniors were going to throw dog food, however Ms. Wilson quickly shut their operation down.

Minutes before pep rally, the sophomores and juniors were called down to the gym together and we weren't able to prank them. We had another plan in mind though. We quickly lined up in the locker room and the anticipation killed us. Our class adviser, Ms. Dunkerware, texted us with a “ready-set-go”, we quietly listened for our senior song to begin, and we busted through the locker room doors into the gym, surprising the school. We hyped up the crowd as they sung along to Big Moose’s Magnolia Remix.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, we pulled our silly string and confetti out, attacking the juniors and any civilian in their vicinity. The amount of silly string was unbelievable, every inch of the junior section of the bleachers was covered in confetti. I stood in amazement watching the damage us seniors had created. The juniors, were not so happy about our prank. Two juniors were kicked out of pep rally for fighting and basically killing the vibe. We yelled “Bye-Bye” and as they left we chanted “SENIORS! SENIORS!”.

Every class danced, the band dancers danced their heart out with the band behind them  beautifully performing, the cheerleaders gave us a sneak peek of basketball season’s cheers, and a special guest The ALA Boys performed their African dances. The sports teams were highlighted and the basketball team were rewarded with banners for their sectional winning. The whole experience was very emotional, watching my classmates and school realizing this would be my last year.

Unfortunately, the juniors quickly ruined this emotional experience throwing dog food, rice, cereal, stink bombs, and water at us. Unauthorized and unapproved, the juniors toomk it among themselves to retaliate. Their actions resulted in time being lost and other performances being cut short. In spite of this chaos, our final pep rally was a beautiful and shocking experience that I will never forget of my high school career.

The Final Pep Rally- The Aftermath

The aftermath of pep rally, obviously, included the juniors’ negative commentary and inappropriate opinions made by others. My mother, who is on parent council,was one of the parents in attendance.

Another parent that was on site had this to say about the events of the day, “I’m concerned with the Seniors throwing food! I was told cereal was being thrown. Which makes no sense if there are roaches and possibly mice! They should have thrown Confetti 🎉 or something. It doesn’t even have to be bought! It can be made with old paper, newspaper, shopping circulars, scissors and hole punchers!”

Another parent says, “...my grandson said it was inappropriate dancing and displaying of bra.”

I was very offended to see that someone else’s parent thought so poorly of our hard work and organization. I was also upset that a student, probably someone new to the community and someone who probably has never experienced a “University High School Pep Rally”, relayed such a inaccurate and incorrect message to their parent about the events and said nothing positive about the work that was put in by the dancers, band, cheerleaders, and sports team to operate such event for us.

In response to this parent, my mother stated, “Hello Ladies, this is Cheryl Vaughn…. The school has no control over what the kids do. The kids risk every year of Pep Rally being cancelled.  It is not fair to the students that work hard and enjoy taking part in sports, dance, and band.  It was nice to see the talent.  The prank was approved by the class advisors.  I know for the senior class it was confetti, silly string, and masks. All of this activity was to be displayed at the pep rally that was at 1:00pm.  There was no approval of food, dog food, cat food, or anything else that anyone may of  heard.  As far as any in inappropriate behavior of some of the boys and girls that was not promoted by the school or administration.  It is hard to keep the students from doing inappropriate things.  That starts at home and that child’s own teachings and morals.  If students did things they had no business doing, it was of their own recognizance. As we see at sporting events of the cheerleaders, the girls did their dance and cheers as they do.  The school coaches would not approve of any inappropriate dance, but we have to think about how the world of dance has evolved.  So some have their opinions as to how they dance.   Students were able to dance too and again out of school’s control with of how the students behave.  All of the administration, and I mean all had their hands full keeping the students calm and orderly.  The staff went home exhausted.  There were students walked out of the gym because of their behavior.  Ms. Wilson did a wonderful job with keeping the orderly.  She spoke on the microphone until she could talk no more.  There are just students who do not know how to conduct themselves.  Mr. Mendez was not happy with some of the students behavior.  He did not look happy at all.  They pushed through Pep Rally and a lot of mature minded students enjoyed themselves.”

I was very proud of my mother for summarizing and setting the parent straight with her incorrect information. As my mother stated, everything that happened at pep rally, (besides the dog food of course), has been happening for years. Also, each dance had to be approved by a class advisor. Our class advisor approved of the silly string and confetti, the junior class advisor also approved of her class being sprayed because she believed they were mature enough to handle it. As far at the dancing, I feel as though my mother put it very well, “dance has evolved”. Although it may not be the most appropriate, “kids will be kids”, once again the dancing was approved by class advisers. Ms. Wilson’s daughter was even a dancer, yet her mother approved of her dancing the way she did, and if she's okay with it, then that is all that matters.

It is important to write a very detailed and accurate article about such an important event that will go down in University High School History. I don’t want my last pep rally to also be yours.