The Production of Pep Performances

For generations, pep rallies have always been the peak of Samo pride for faculty and students alike. Rallies are a time where all communities within Samo--no matter what grade, clique or position at the school--can come together and show their spirit. Entertainers are invited to perform, fun competitions are organized and of course, Battle of the Classes is played. But with all that fun comes hard work from behind the curtain: the Associated Student Body (ASB). ASB can be found behind the scenes of all things Samo. They are the ones who fund, plan and execute rallies for the enjoyment of their peers. On every pep rally day, the dozens of student representatives can be seen setting up props and practicing stunts. Before all of that happens, however, meticulous brainstorming and planning must be done. At the beginning of each school year, ASB is given a list of themes for each and every pep rally throughout the year. This gives the Spirit Commission something to work off of when writing the script for each rally. The Spirit Commission is a branch of ASB that focuses on--you guessed it--school spirit. This year the group is composed of four students: Ivana Small (’19), Karina Vital (’22), Dahlia Michael (’19) and Kindyl Henley (’19). Each member has their own responsibility in planning pep rallies and spirit days.While all four brainstorm ideas for entertainment, Henley and Michael are the ones who think of and write out the whole script. They begin writing about one to two months before the rallies happen, and roles are cast along the way. Small, Henley and Michael work together in casting ASB members. For example, Hannah Skikne (’20) and Daniel Jones (’19) are emcees, while Mateo Marquez (’21) and Noa Goldsmith (’20) are Troy and Gabriella in the upcoming High School Musical themed rally. The Spirit Commission enlists the help of their peers in ASB, but the creativity and originality are all up to them. “We come up with all of this off the top of our heads, but Ms. Rotundi and the rest of ASB are helpful when it comes to the script,” Henley said. Small is the one in charge of guests. Since she is on the cheer team, she organizes their time on stage and makes sure everything is well-rehearsed. She gets in contact with the Song team to coordinate their appearances and emails all sports teams to invite them to compete in rally games. All of that is essential, but what is a pep rally without some tunes? While Running With Speakers (RWS) provides the sound system, Vital is the face behind the music. She is the one who chooses the songs and uploads them into her drive to pass on to RWS. Vital usually cuts the “Finish the Lyrics” clips, but RWS is taking care of it for the upcoming rally. It is important to have clear communication and coordination in events as big as these, and Vital does all she can to avoid misunderstandings or issues at rallies. “I’m the one who communicates with them the most and makes sure they have the script, the music and everything they need by the time the rally comes around,” Vital said. The week of every rally, representatives of ASB do a dress rehearsal to make sure all the kinks are worked out. With enough practice, rallies can run smoothly every time. The four girls on Spirit Commission are dedicated to giving their peers fun and creative pep rallies and encouraging them to love their school. The next pep rally is on Feb. 8. So, while you reminisce about your High School Musical days and show your school spirit on the Greeks, remember that there wouldn’t be pep in the rally without the Spirit Commission and the rest of ASB. Go Samo!