Van Nuys High School seniors participated in a crowd wave at the bleachers for a pep rally event. THE MIRROR | KIMBERLY SALAZAR
In the scorching heat on Friday, Sept. 12, over 2,000 students were required to sit outside for 80 minutes in the name of ‘enhancing school spirit.’
Pep rallies take a lot of time out of our school day. Fitting the event demands class periods to be 20 minutes shorter, significantly reducing instructional time.
All the while, students are left sweating in the sun and dodging flying chargers, all without anyone asking them how they feel about the experience. Considering how much time they consume, it’s high time we question the efficacy and necessity of these pep rallies.
Pep rallies have long been considered as part of the authentic high school experience. And there are reasons for that. Many students enjoy the chance to unwind with their classmates and lend their support to the football team as they kick off the school year.
“I think that school pep rallies are amazing as it allows students a chance to show school spirit and connect more with their class,” senior Melissa Casco said. “Since we didn’t get to have these our freshman and sophomore year it makes them even more fun to experience now!”
Events such as pep rallies take great effort, and I’m not trying to diminish the teamwork and time spent behind organizing an event of this scale. However, I can’t help but wonder if those efforts could be repurposed into a different event that promotes school spirit in a more comfortable way.
For student athletes, pep rallies might feel exciting. They’re the ones running onto the football field with big posters, soaking up the cheers. But for everyone else, that time is spent simply observing and baking in the heat. Personally, I would opt out if I had the opportunity and other students seem to relate.
“I thought that these pep rallies lack engagement,” senior Aveline Alferez said. “Although the class board members work hard to keep us having fun, I don’t think the rallies need to be so long.”
Maybe the methods used to engage a large audience of over 2,000 students could be changed or the location that pep rallies are held could shift; either way, an immediate change is needed so that this attempt at amplifying our school spirit doesn’t deflate into heat strokes and headaches.