Samo Celebrates First School-Wide Pep Rally Since Feb. 2020
By Natalie Gazzana, Staff Writer
On Sept. 23, Samo students gathered to watch the first schoolwide pep rally in three years held in the Greek Amphitheater . The rally consisted of many activities with the goal of uniting Samo’s student body while simultaneously encouraging friendly competition, including a finish the lyrics game between different classes, a dance battle and involvement from Samo’s fall sports teams.
In the first semester of 2019, young freshmen of the class of 2023 gathered in the Greeks to watch their first high school pep rally. Now, nearly four years later, freshman, sophomores and juniors were able to experience their first pep rally. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions of the last two years, pep rallies were unable to happen, so for many students, this was a new and exciting environment.
In fact, for Holden Savage (’25), the pep rally was a new and welcomed competitive experience.
“I liked the pep rally. I thought it was fun to see all of the sports teams and compete against the other grades,” Savage said.
When students were first excused from their classroom and directed down to the Greeks, they were greeted by fellow classmates in designated class colors with ASB members Jessica Brown (’23) and Yohannes Mihret (’23) on the stage. As the pep rally started, Brown and Mihret were joined by several sports teams, members of the Samo special education program and the Madrigals and Chamber choir ensembles, who sang Samo’s Hymn of Praise and the Star Spangled Banner. In addition, Samo took part in a trending ‘roller coaster’ cheer, run by several faculty members in an attempt to break a record previously set by a different school.
Although the schoolwide pep rally was the first one in three years, there were many similarities to the ones held in 2019 and years prior. For example, as the fall sports teams walked the stage, some students, including varsity volleyball players Dylan Spanier (’23) and Catrina Zolkin (’23) made clear their class preference by using the mic to shout “Go ’23!” Some seniors might recollect the similarities to freshman year, when the seniors back then did the same for their graduating year. Although many seniors found excitement in the pep rally, some, like Matilda Spenelli (’23), thought that the pep rally was in need of more pep.
“I think there wasn't enough energy and participation. We could've had more interactive activities, like having the students from the dance battle go down to the stage in front of everyone. That would have made the crowd roar,” Spenelli said.
However, considering most students at Samo have never had a school-wide pep rally, it is expected that the first one back would lack a little bit of enthusiasm.
As the first grading period came to an end at Samo, the pep rally was a fun and exciting way to start the school year. Welcomed competition between grade levels offered friendly animosity and reignited many students' missing school spirit.
Yohannes Mihret ('23) and Jessica Brown ('23), the pep rally emcees, pose for a picture