Since the class of 2013 entered seventh grade in 2007, the school has been accustomed to a sole pep rally at the end of homecoming, culminating a week full of spirit and enthusiasm and preluding the upcoming homecoming game and dance. That was then.

   This year, however, the SGA decided to change their attitude with pep rally. They organized a pep rally for IceFest, a previously disregarded spirited week. The event (instead at the end of the week) was held the week before the spirit week.

   SGA has done a superb job with this assembly. Before this year, IceFest was a nonevent. It was very dispirited, not participated in, and overlooked. This year however, basketball games had a large turnout and spirit days were well participated in.

   The credit for this goes to the pep rally. If the school community is being honest, nothing gets students more excited for a week than getting out of class. Yes, forty minutes of class was lost but this is a miniscule sacrifice for such an important event.

   Don’t fret administrators. Yes forty minutes missed of class is a fair amount of time and teachers deserve this time. Of course we as a community want to continue our progress towards improved test scores and better grades, but the pep rally represents something more.  

   In the school year, the most hyped and attended sport is football. This draws more crowds (and more importantly) more funds to the school. However we all must remember that football is not the only sport at the school. Other sports, such as basketball and other winter sports, are overlooked by the school community despite their importance and success. SGA put on this event to give additional input and attention to those sports. This is highly necessary for the schools’ spirited success.

   Thus the school needs to give SGA credit where credit is deserved. The pep rally was well planned, well performed, and well executed. Although the length of the pep rally itself was slightly short, this could be worked on throughout the year and thus improved. Ultimately the presence and effort of spirit can change the entire student body into adding support for all activities.