The beginning of the school year is daunting for both students and staff, as work goes underway and life goes from calm to crazy for many. Having a way to let loose a little and participate in fun activities is necessary. One great way many schools, including Wakefield, do this is through pep rallies. With Homecoming just around the corner, students and staff alike look forward to this yearly tradition.
Undoubtedly, the planning process plays a huge role in making the Homecoming Pep Rally run smoothly. Social Studies teacher and adviser of Wakefield’s Student Council, Lance Atkinson, plays a crucial role in this process.
“I oversee everything,” Atkinson said. “I’ll actually design the schedule for the minute by minute of how [the pep rally] works.”
But Atkinson isn’t the only one working behind the scenes. Students and staff work in unison to ensure the pep rally goes well. While Atkinson helps plan the event, the students he oversees in Student Council are also left with a large part of the responsibility.
One of these students who plays a key role in this planning process is Sofia Colvin, a senior here at Wakefield. As a member of the Student Council’s Spirit Committee, Colvin is responsible for brainstorming components that could be added to the Pep Rally to improve school spirit.
“[We are] working to build that school spirit by having fun at Wakefield, together as a school, which is cool,” Colvin said.
Beyond planning for the Homecoming Pep Rally, it’s important to consider the impact this event has on school participation. Many members of Wakefield’s community would agree that pep rallies are guaranteed to boost school spirit and foster a sense of unity among the student body. One such member is Taylor Woods, a senior and one of the varsity football team’s running backs. Woods has enjoyed being a part of pep rallies every year since he first joined the football team at Wakefield, and has enjoyed the acknowledgement that comes along with every time he has participated.
“It’s nice to get recognized for an after-school thing that you do,” Woods said. “It’s just nice to have everyone see you.”
While students like those on the football team enjoy the hype revolving around the pep rally, principal Malik Bazzell directs his attention toward the positive impact pep rallies have on student performance. Bazzell explains how students’ sense of belonging to the Wakefield community contributes to their social and academic success.
“Students [have] that intrinsic motivation to do well on their own,” Bazzell said. “But a lot of times, when they have this connection to the school, it has an indirect positive effect on their academics.”
The energetic atmosphere of the Homecoming Pep Rally has the potential to ignite a passion and drive in students. Since pep rallies often celebrate academic and athletic achievements, students can be inspired to contribute to those activities, as well as strive for success.
“At the end of the day, we want students to be happy and excited to be here,” Atkinson said. “Pep rallies are just [a] great event where we get to do that and show everything that we have here at Wakefield.”
