Working their magic once again, Jennifer Shahin, Kate Bartlett, and the Blue & White Society brought school spirit and a much needed two hour break from class to the students of NAHS with the 2020 Winter Pep-Rally.

As music blared throughout the gym, students were hyped to experience what has become a great Norristown tradition. Blue and white balloons colored the area along with two lines of chairs foreshadowing the main event. 

With a warm welcome, Principle Ed Roth entered with excitement. As tradition goes, the JROTC marched out along with Ms. Danoff’s Select Choir for the opening ceremony. The crowd applauded the performers, and then Principle Roth continued the tradition of handing the golden mic to English teacher Neil Shafer, who then handed the mic over to our lovely announcers: class of 2020’s Dayanna Zeigler and Aleshia Cofield. With enthusiasm, the two emcees introduced the cheerleaders to the floor. 

The cheerleaders ran towards the middle with their trophy upfront. Last weekend, the girls placed 11th in the nation. With the crowd dying down, they were ready to start their routine. The girls hyped up the crowd with cool tricks and flips, and a short dance. Quickly cleaning up the floor, the girls made room for the first game of the rally: Hula Hoop Pass. 

The premise of the game was to get a hula-hoop through a line of people who had to hold hands. There were 4 lines, 3 of students and 1 of faculty. With a booming voice, Mr. Shafer began the game. Laughter ensued as the contestants were struggling to get the hoop through their respective lines. After a few minutes, the senior swayed their way to victory. 

With clean and precise steps, the JROTC students marched with pride, mesmerizing the crowd with how in sync they were with one another. With a phenomenal performance, the JROTC then brought in the Saber guards, who stealthily unsheathed their swords to create a tunnel for the senior JROTC students. A round of applause was given, and the second game was announced: Tug of War. 

As students made their way down to the floor, Mr. Shafer explained the rules of Tug of war to 3 students in the entire gym who had no idea how the game worked. The first match was adults versus babies- I mean, seniors versus freshman. Pulling with all their strength, the freshman struggled to stay on their side of the gym, getting dragged like kitties in a bag. 

Next up was the match between then juniors and the sophomores. The juniors pulled with all their might, but with the slippery floor, they fell short and lost to the sophomores. As a junior myself, I’m not disappointed, I’m just livid. 

For the seniors and sophomore match, the seniors used their privilege card to call for backup (don’t worry seniors, none of us noticed that you couldn’t beat a bunch of sophomores). With their bravery and dignity, the sophomores sadly lost the war to the seniors. Although you have fallen, your spirits shall always live in our memories. As reigning cheaters- I mean champions- it was finally time for the seniors to face the veterans. 

The final war commenced when the fog horns blared. With half of the 2020 class on one side and the veterans of Tug of War on the other (Mr. Brenner held tight to Dr. McGriff), the final war resulted in a senior win. The crowd gave a resounding “OK BOOMER” to the veterans. Cheers and applause from the senior class and only the senior class filled the gymnasium. As the game wrapped up, Zeigler and Cofield announced NAHS’ very own Sabor Latino Dance Club, which performed with style and poise. 

Following the performance, cheerleaders created a tunnel for the senior athletes for winter sports. Indoor track was the first sport to be named, followed by wrestling, swim, bowling, boy’s basketball, and cheerleading. As the cheerleaders dispersed, it was then time for the long-anticipated basketball game. 

Before the game started, the emcees called for a moment of silence in tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant. The game then began. With five minutes on the clock, seniors (wearing yellow shirts) went against the juniors and sophomores. Avenging their debatable loss in Tug of War, the juniors and sophomores annihilated the seniors. 

The 2nd round was a mix of juniors and sophomores against one another. The yellow team was in the lead during the first few minutes, but soon after, the blank team pulled ahead with a comeback win.

The 3rd round consisted of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and teachers, featuring special guest star Principle Roth. The game was intense as the blank team missed many shots with over the top dunks. Dripping with baller power, the blank team dominated during this quarter.  Zeigler and Kohfield wrapped up the game and introduced the beloved drumline!

Unlike last time, the drumline did not wear their blue and white masks, but their beats made up for that loss. No dance was incorporated into their routine, but they still gave a rockin’ performance. With the crowd still hyped, it was time for the Mr. Norristown contestant announcements. 

One after another, the boys of Norristown competing to become men in just a few weeks were announced. Still filled with energy, the crowd erupted in cheer as the long-awaited step team stomped out. Sparking their new neon green t-shirts, the steppers got into formation. 

The gym exploded as the instrumental of “The Box” by Roddy Ricch played. The team stepped to the beat and the crowd clapped along to their dance. Near the end, a surprise mob of lads stepped in and continued to hype the crowd. Laughter and cheer filled the gymnasium as the step-team stomped off. 

Before ending the pep-rally, the announcers brought back the cheerleaders, Sabor Latino dancers, faculty, and the step-team to dance to viral Tik Tok audios. The crowd went wild as “Say So” by Doja Cat and “Lottery (Renegade)” by K Camp. 

Ending off with a banger, the 2020 Winter Pep-Rally never would have been as hyped it was without the works of Mdme. Jen Shahin, Ms. Kate Barlett, and of course, the Blue and White Society.