Changes in Pep Rally Lessen School Spirit

The Verona High School pep rally use to be something that the entire school looked forward to, but it is slowly becoming a non-event. The pep really was the place to be the day before the first football game.

VHS’s pep rally has changed dramatically throughout the years. The pep rally once was an evening event that the majority of Verona Township would attend.

According to VHS history teacher Christine Specie, during her first night time pep rally as a VHS teacher “six students got in trouble for being under the influence of drugs.” This was not the only thing that went wrong during pep rallies at that time.

Jackie Castellano, VHS class of 1980, said that “the entire student section was mostly drunk. It was actually pretty dangerous at times.” Although the pep rallies were fun and exciting, the issue of student safety was too much for the staff to handle.

The pep rally was switched from Friday night to Friday during school to prevent the use of illegal substances. The pep rally was held during the last hour of the school day, and then students were dismissed from there.

In 2013 pep rallies were switched from the end of the school day to the morning. Verona High School Principal Mr. Cesa, said that “having the pep rally in the morning helps to manage the whole day better.” When the pep rally was in the afternoon, classes were being interrupted due to all of the excitement the students would have. According to Vice Principal Mr. Galbierczyk, school “dismissal is more orderly now.”

Although the VHS staff and faculty were always at the pep rally, this past year it was completely controlled by them. The well-known usual chants got some seniors in trouble and the tradition of the seniors running down to the cheerleaders was stopped.

It is clear that that the school is trying to make the pep rally a safe environment, but the joy is slowly going away. The pep rally in the morning is not the cause of students’ dread of going to the pep rally. Now that students are not allowed to have the traditional cheers or do the same fun things, while still being safe, the fun is being taken away. Traditions at VHS are slowly starting to change, and school spirit is being lost in the process.