Rally towels in hand and hearts pounding, students from every corner of the district flooded the newly turfed football field for a pep rally like no other. After years of huddling in the upper gym, the move outdoors brought bigger cheers, brighter energy, and a sense that this homecoming was one for the history books.
For the first time, the homecoming pep rally was held on the new turf at Brown Field, featuring students from West Delaware Elementary, Middle, and High School, as well as St. Mary’s School.
Student Council advisors Shelby Piersch and Jamie Smith believed the pep rally would foster a sense of tradition and enthusiasm in the younger students, helping them become hopeful about their own high school futures.
“We just wanted to figure out a way to make homecoming bigger and better because we thought it had kind of lost its life over the past couple of years,” Piersch said.
To get all of the schools more involved in the spirit, the high school initiated a district-wide Penny War among schools, with all the money going to the Be Kind to Your Mind Campaign. The principal of the school that won, Rudi Hameister of Lambert Elementary, was splashed with a bucket of water at the homecoming assembly.
“The Penny Wars were a really good way to make people feel like they weren’t just there to watch,” Piersch said.
New High School Principal Matt Svare received his first taste of a West Delaware Homecoming and its new traditions, getting dunked with a bucket of water at the assembly!
“I had a suspicion that it wasn’t just one principal that was going to get wet, but I didn’t know for sure,” he said. “I thought it was fun and for a great cause. It was a hot day, so it actually felt refreshing!”
He also enjoyed seeing his son, who is in elementary school, at the pep rally.
Furthermore, the cheerleaders were working in a new environment for the pep rally. Rather than squeaky–clean gym floors and fluorescent lighting reserved for high school students only, they cheered for all four schools in the district on the turf.
Claire Hegland said the pep rally was good practice for the football games, and the team enjoyed performing for the little kids because they were excited.
“It took away some of the intimidation of just performing for the high school kids,” she said.
Executive Student Council President Keizel Rivera-Lopez was a key planner of this fresh event. He and the student council members were worried about the unpredictability of the weather. “We didn’t really have a backup plan if the weather was bad, but thankfully, God was on our side,” Rivera said.
He was grateful for all of the children, because their energy fed into the positivity that surrounded the assembly.
“I hope it motivates them to participate in activities when they come into high school,” he said.
Rivera is hopeful to continue this as a tradition and would like to come up with more ways to incorporate the younger grades.
Smith believes these kinds of events are all about attitude. “If you go into it thinking you’re going to have fun and get pumped up, you will!” Smith said.
