Dear Covid,
You suck. You suck for isolating us from the rest of the world. You suck for taking away our motivation. You suck for ruining the best parts of high school, like prom and graduation. But most of all, you suck for taking away our school pep rallies.
Prior to the pandemic, Edgemont pep rallies really exemplified the spirit of our student body. Students would plan their entire day around the pep rally, starting with telling their parents to pick them up early, just before the school-wide event began. It was so thoughtful of some teachers to stand guard at the front of the school so students would not get lost on their way to the gym and accidentally go home, missing out on all the fun!
The events at the pep rallies were always prime entertainment. I love how predictable each pep rally was! Every pep rally starts off with an elite band composed of high school students. These band members were so lucky to be recognized for their talent by being allowed to play in Edgemont’s prestigious pep rallies. We always knew that the gym was near when we could hear the honking of trombones and clarinets. Then, after the band plays, the Chamber Choir sings the National Anthem. They bless everyone’s ears by ending their rendition of the National Anthem with a fantastic high note.
And how can we forget about our sports teams’ stellar performances? According to Edgemont’s pep rallies, walking is a great way to show excitement! Sports teams show their enthusiasm by dragging their feet across the gym floor and huddling in packs while making awkward eye contact with the crowd. If some teams are feeling a bit bold, they will execute an actual performance. It’s super entertaining to watch sports teams run through choreographed numbers that include repeatedly jumping up and down. I also really enjoy the dances they put together. The dances are extremely well-coordinated, and last year, some dedicated members even spent their time learning a difficult TikTok dance! However, each year, the dance club always takes home the prize of best and most entertaining performance.
My personal favorite part is when the varsity tennis team makes its appearance. They always have bags of candy ready to be tossed into the crowd. Luckily, we get a really clear view of the candy as it is flung into our eyes by tennis rackets. The candies must be super fancy and expensive since underclassmen dive onto the gym floor to collect them. Fighting over who grabbed a piece of candy first might be the greatest display of emotion that we see by Edgemont students at these pep rallies.
The best part of the pep rallies is the basketball tournament. We watch our favorite teachers display their athleticism in an effort to make a 3 point shot. I think the baskets in our gym are broken since the balls always seem to be missing the hoop. During this competition, we see a true display of Edgemont spirit as students scream in their teachers’ faces while trying to get their attention.
Throughout the pep rally, students are so fascinated that they decide to post clips of the performance on their Snapchat and Instagram stories. The pep rallies are so entertaining that they compel students to go on their phones instead of watching the event, probably for the purpose of capturing the memory via their iPhone camera.
Pep rallies are an extremely memorable and vital part of the Edgemont high school experience. I’m sure that once Covid-19 is over, our student body will be begging for their return.