On September 9th, Upper School made way for the first pep rally of the year. The students, teachers, administration, coaches, and newly renovated field house made it better than ever. The crowd packed the stands and yelled and cheered loudly.
Students loved the change from early morning pep rallies at 7:45 a.m. to now 9:15 a.m. A later start time this year has breathed a new energy into pep rallies.
Pep Rallies have been a tradition for many years at PCA. Biology Teacher Mrs. Melody Gravett said, “Throughout the 25 years I’ve been here, the pep rallies always encourage everybody in school spirit and will get the football team hyped for the game on Friday. They are my favorite, personally I just love them.”
The faculty and students wore their best neon to get ready for the themed volleyball and football games that night. The student involvement and grade-level spirit was unmatched. Senior Avery Rayman said, “As a cheerleader, I love watching all the students in the stands cheer everyone on, have fun, and be involved.”
Student Government Association (SGA) and the Varsity Football captains led the pep rally and kept the audience entertained. SGA introduced a tic-tac-toe basketball match which was also a hit. It was played by grade level, however the seniors ended up taking the win!
The rally included performances by the cheerleaders, band, POM team, and an introduction of the fall sports. Junior Georgia Stunkel updated us on her thoughts about the pep rally on Friday and said, “My favorite part of the pep rally is when they announce the different players and teams. It gives each sport a chance to be recognized for their hard work.”
The competitive cheer team started the rally off strong and was followed with Upper School Interim Principal Dr. Chad Nichols’ speech boasting of the volleyball team’s recognition as the top 25 teams in the nation, the band, and the spirit cheerleaders.
New students’ opinions on the pep rallies were positive as they were a warm welcome to the PCA culture. When asked about the latest pep rally compared to other schools, Freshman Peyton Whitmarsh said, “I loved the pep rally on Friday because the school spirit was way better than my old school. We had fun the whole time and never sat down.”
The pep rallies are an amazing way to unify the Upper School. They increase school spirit, connect the high school students to teachers, and encourage everyone to heighten their excitement for the upcoming school year.
