The morning air at Centennial High feels different today. On Friday, before the first bell rings, students pour into the building decked out in red, white, blue, and black, their class colors. They fill the halls with chatter about competitions, performances, and class pride, setting the tone for the homecoming pep rally taking place this afternoon in the gym. The excitement shows in how friends compare outfits, swap predictions, and rehearse cheers, turning an ordinary morning into the buildup for one of the school’s biggest traditions.
Pep rallies and spirit days are more than just decorations and chants. “It’s important that we have activities like this to allow students, whether you’re an athlete or you do drama or music or you’re in a club, that you all come together,” CHS English Teacher Kelli McDonough, who is also the co-sponsor of SGA. The sense of unity is what defines the anticipation for the rally.
However, the rally’s most popular activities aren’t always what you would expect. Last year’s decision to bring back musical chairs, for example, ended up being a highlight. McDonough remembered how it “got so intense and wound up being a really cool activity,” also noting that red light, green light— led by Liberty, the school mascot- was also a surprise hit. These moments, she explained, give all grade levels a chance to compete.
“Honestly, the underclassmen tend to have the advantage of those,” she remarks, “because the upperclassmen think that, you know, they’re obviously going to win, but underclassmen have been cleaning up in those other activities.”
The perspective on rallies also varies depending on grade level. For younger students, the excitement lies in imagining their future role. Freshmen and sophomores watch juniors and seniors play volleyball and flag football with the knowledge that one day it will be their turn.
Seniors, on the other hand, approach the day with sentimentality. “Even handing out things like candy and pom poms, the seniors really embrace it,” McDonough noted. “It just reminds them of the nostalgic value of the past four years.” She also adds that there are some “pretty good crowd giveaways this year,” don’t miss your chance to grab one!
Although the traditions may look effortless by the time students crowd into the gym, the planning starts long before. “It takes hours and hours of planning,” McDonough emphasized, explaining that the SGA starts preparing as early as June and adjusting plans based on student input.
Even after the games and giveaways, work continues. Cleanup, McDonough underscored, is something students take ownership of. “We want to make sure that our custodial staff doesn’t have to clean up after us, so it’s kind of a full group effort,” she said. “We always ask students that if they see candy on the floor or, you know, wayward pom poms to pick them up, because, I mean, we’re all in this together.”
That spirit of responsibility echoes the larger purpose of the day. From musical chairs to flag football, from giveaways to cleanup, the pep rally is more than just an afternoon of cheers, but is a tradition that brings Centennial together as a community.
