Freshman Kyo Yu scooters straight toward a cluster of human bowling pins. Strike! All the pins collapse, and the crowd goes wild. Cheers fill the air. After a brief celebration, the announcers turn to the fencing team waiting outside the doors. Anticipation for the winter pep rally pulses through the gym.
Traditionally, South High plans one pep rally, which occurs in the fall. This year, Mr. DePaola, Athletic Director Mr. Braun, and the Booster Club combined efforts to organize South High’s first winter pep rally. Various staff members also helped bring the event to fruition. “I wasn’t here to organize last-minute touches or make announcements, so I relied on Miss Dina and the assistant principals,” Mr. DePaola said.
During his time as principal of Carle Place High School, Mr. DePaola increased the number of pep rallies from one to three. When an athlete requested a spring pep rally, he chose to do the same at South. These additional pep rallies will give all sports teams the opportunity to be celebrated by the South community. “It was unfair last year when there was only the fall pep rally, and it felt like the other two seasons were left out,” swimmer Ryan Chiu said.
With a growing student population, students and staff barely had enough time to situate themselves in the East Gym.
In the fall, sports teams lined up outside the building to reduce overcrowding. This time, due to cold weather, the athletes gathered in the auditorium before the pep rally. They walked down to the gym once hallway congestion died down. Teams then lined up in the hall and prepared their entrances.
However, Mr. DePaola noticed a hitch in this system’s implementation. “I released [the athletes] too early from the auditorium. For the spring pep rally, I’ll hold them for longer. By the time I got to the gym, there were still non-athletes coming in.”
Despite this roadbump, administration overcame previous overcrowding issues: Spectators sat near the back of the gym, which expanded its occupant capacity. Additionally, fewer athletes participated during the winter season, so sports teams could sit in front of the bleachers after their laps around the gym.
The sudden announcement of the winter pep rally created challenges for students and staff alike. Since the event was not included on the initial school calendar, the South community needed time to plan. Given such short notice, athletes had only a few days to prepare their pep rally entrances. Joshua Chang, captain of the boys winter track team, shared his experience when he learned South High was having a winter pep rally: “I found out last night. At 11 PM. There was no preparation for anything.”
Plans for the spring pep rally are already underway. Mr. DePaola said, “For the spring, I was proposing to do a pep rally outside. I’ve had experience doing pep rallies both inside and outside for the same event: starting inside, then going outside, then coming back inside.” Mr. DePaola also proposed other activities, like a relay race and a dance team performance for the spring pep rally in addition to the sports teams’ existing entrances.
Despite the spontaneous nature of the pep rally, freshman Olivia Kang praised the overall experience. “It was really fun. As a freshman, it was nice to see all the people… I would look forward to seeing [the pep rally] again.”
