By Ashleigh Heaton
Entertainment Editor
Pep rallies are supposed to be about getting the students excited about the sports and activites going on around the school. However, CHS has, in my opinion, been doing a lukewarm job of it because they’re not focusing on the student part of the first statement. The Southlake blackout rally, which had its awesome moments, was the best attempt I’ve ever seen, yet still didn’t reach the potential pep rallies should have.
“But how can it be any better?”, some might ask. Well, I’ve got a few suggetions.
Theatrics, theatrics, theatrics
We teenagers are a tough crowd to please, I know. But one thing that will always catch our attention is some good ol’ special effects. For example, during the blackout pep rally, when the lights finally turned off during the “Coppell cowboys beat Southlake!” chant…yeah, that was pretty epic. And it got everyone excited. Of course, then the lights started bugging out and the music stopped working…which brings me to my next point.
Work out the kinks
Nothing is as big of a downer as technical difficulties. This includes, but is not limited to, sound systems not being loud enough, music tracks skipping, skits announced in the wrong order, and lights misbehaving. Some of these things can’t be helped, but others — especially sound — can be fixed before the pep rally. Most of the time, students such as myself don’t pay attention to the person speaking because we can’t hear them. And that’s not an impossible thing to change.
Add freshness
At this point, pep rallies have become routine: pledge of alligence, national anthem, the coaches speak, the band plays, the cheerleaders perform, the seniors win the so-called spirit stick, yada yada yada. It’s old. It’s predictable. It’s boring. Kind of going back to the theatrics thing…surprise us. Don’t let word spill about what skits are going to be performed and whatnot. And don’t just do skits because this group and that group are required to — do them to entertain and pump up the school spirit.
I’m sure there are suggestions that I’m missing…what do you think? Leave some feedback in the comments.
