It’s said that high school memories stay with you for a lifetime. Unfortunately, the class of 2024 hasn’t had as many opportunities to create these memories as those senior classes before the pandemic of 2020. And such an event like the pep rally, which requires the whole school to be present and commands the attention of everyone involved, was the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. Especially since this is the first pep rally to be held in the gym since 2019 and is quite literally the seniors’ only chance at enjoying a traditional pep rally. 

The event was held last Friday, Sept. 22, and featured a plethora of performances, games, and spirited cheers. Psychology teacher Krista Bolinsky and seniors Brandon Zuniga and Haylie Jost kept the energy high as the emcees for the event. They kept the crowd entertained by joking around and just having a good time.

The classes clashed in musical mats, relays, basketball knockout, and finally tug of war. In between games, students swarmed to record the Sabor Latino Dance Club and Ballet Folklorico Yaretzi as the groups came out to perform. Unexpectedly the cheerleaders and staff teamed up to provide the audience with an exclusive viewing of Dancing With The Teachers: TikTok edition. Even the man, the myth, the legend Dr. McGriff stopped the show with his special guest appearance. A video of him showing off his dance moves has close to 1,000 likes on Instagram, truly making this a memorable occasion.

The whole event was organized by The Blue and White Society. Advisors Jen Shahin and Kate Bartlett put a lot of thought into this event, especially for the seniors. They understood the importance of making this something truly special for the last class of virtual trailblazers. 

“To make this event something special for seniors since it’s their first genuine pep rally, we tried to get their input as much as possible and encouraged them to come to meetings,” said Ms. Bartlett. 

With the work put into this event, the students seemed to appreciate every activity and performance. The pep rally was a chance for the seniors to take a break from school and be kids again. 

“Senior year really hit me today,” said Class of 2024 president Jeremiah McCray. “I was really sentimental and felt nostalgic.” 

This translates well into his school and senior spirit. Every chance he got, McCray would encourage the crowd to cheer on game contestants. And it wasn’t only the president who felt obliged to make this an amazing event. 

Vice President Rahiyely Garcia Torres was just as willing to make seniors never forget this day.  “After everything we went through, we deserve a good senior year,” she said.  

Seniors were engaged and connected the whole time, never missing a chance to cheer on and show off to the other grades. Especially when Bolinsky asked every class to show their spirit, even though the underclassmen tried their hardest, their attempts paled in comparison to the seniors’ school spirit. 

It’s expected that seniors would be the most hyped up because last year there wasn’t actually a proper pep rally. With school renovations, it was held outside which led to an event that honestly very few enjoyed. 

“I’m glad we’re inside this year because it’s not cold and we can actually hear the music,” said senior Disha Patel. 

With all the positive feelings floating around, and that empty void needing to be filled, the seniors and school staff worked harder than ever to make this their year. 

“It’s a good feeling to make high school feel like high school again,” said McGriff.