I, like many other Greenwood High School students, look forward to both the Homecoming Pep Rally and the Dance every year. It is an exciting way to start off the school year, and you can make fond memories that will last long after your four years spent here. From the Spirit Week festivities to the intense spirit stick battle among the classes, to dancing the night away with your friends and possibly that special someone at the dance, there are many things to enjoy about Homecoming.
However, the question of whether or not these events would even occur this year was up in the air for the longest time because we are still experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the restrictions that come along with it. Since the first day of school, there were rumors that the pep rally wouldn’t even happen this year because of a restriction on indoor events and assemblies put in place at school, which would make it impossible to hold a traditional pep rally. And if a pep rally couldn't take place, then the idea of a dance would probably be inconceivable.
That was, until a solution was finally put in place. The pep rally and the dance were saved when it was decided that the events could still occur, just outside instead!
Now, when we first heard the word “outside” many people were a bit concerned and skeptical. How do you hold a pep rally outside? And even more urgent in the mind of a student, How do you have a school dance outside? Both are very valid questions, as Greenwood has never hosted an outdoor pep rally, and the only other outside dance experience took place last year for the 2021 Prom. It had mixed reviews, per an article that was previously published by The Paw Print, by staff writer Spencer Watts.
Learning from the past mistakes and successes related to the new world of outside school functions, we had a very talented and determined team of students and staff work their hardest to make these cherished events fun, entertaining, and most importantly safe for everyone to enjoy.
The pep rally was coordinated by the Renaissance Organization at Greenwood High School, which is led by Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Novinger.
It began when students were dismissed from class at 1:30 p.m. and walked down to the soccer field. To enter where they were sitting, students strolled through a tunnel that was made by the field hockey team holding their sticks up, accompanied by the cheerleaders.
(photo captured by Emma Atherton)
While they were entering, the Greenwood Band played songs such as Go Big Blue!, Smoke on the Water, and Uprising.
Once everyone was seated in sections divided by class, the band played Firework, and the Color Guard performed a beautifully choreographed accompaniment with them.
After everyone was settled in, the usual pep rally festivities began. The court was announced, which consisted of Emily Bubb and Chris Christilaw, Chloe Sherman and Ethan Jezewski, Bryce Wagner and Katelyn Harp, Amanda Sheaffer and Jeff Flanders, Meghan Corkle and Logan Seiber, and finally Faith Polcha and Jay Bratton. Each pair walked down the red carpet and struck a pose for the judges.
The court participated in many fun activities, starting with competing for who could dress a staff member with toilet paper the best. Another activity they did consisted of one partner being blindfolded, while the other directed them around the field to find bags of their designated color. They were meant to find the bag with the Oscar trophy in it, but there were many other bags along the way that had punishments to delay the groups, like instructing them to do push-ups or jumping jacks.
After all the court-related activities concluded, the fall sports teams at Greenwood were announced. Each respective coach then gave a small speech about their season and all of the hard work and dedication they all have to their sport as their players were lined up on the field to be recognized.
(photo captured by Emma Atherton)
Next, the winners of the spirit sketch competition were announced. There were 2 categories, freehand and digital artwork. The winners were Kimberley Lamora in Best Digital Design, Mr. Johnson in Best Original Freehand, and Mr. Weger in Best Supporting Original Design. Emma Johnson was also recognized for her entry in the contest.
Finally, the pep rally concluded with an event that we haven’t seen in 2 years because of COVID-19, the Spirit Stick Competition! This year’s competition was fierce, and each class battled not only with their voices, but also pots and pans for some classes. The call was very close between the high school classes, but the Class of 2023 ended up as the winners. The proud winners received the Spirit Stick and celebrated, but not for long. Some students from the Class of 2022 did not enjoy the outcome, so they tried to steal the Spirit Stick! Even so, this did not change the fact that the Class of 2023 rightfully won the competition.
(photo taken by Grant Sheffer)
This brought the 2021 Homecoming Pep Rally to an end, and there were mixed reviews, but they were mostly positive! Riley Hoffman rated it a 7/10. He enjoyed it, but he missed the loudness, intensity, and echo of the Spirit Stick competition in the gym. Levi Lower noted that, “It was decent, but I would rather have it inside because of the traditional feeling of having it inside every other year.” Greenwood Chemistry teacher, Mr. Tomko said, “I liked being outside. The Pep Rally was well organized, and everyone had a lot of fun.”
So, the pep rally wasn’t terribly different from usual, aside from being outside, but how was the dance? Well, it was definitely a night to remember.
It was the day after the pep rally, following the usual Homecoming soccer game, and students nervously entered the dark campus of Greenwood High School, not quite knowing what to expect. They walked down the road where buses normally pick up High School students until they got to the steps that lead to the teacher parking lot that was dressed with a red carpet.
After descending down the stairs, students signed into the dance and began to search for their friends as they listened to the music in the background that was DJ’d by alumni from the Class of 2021.
There was a tent set up in the parking lot that, originally, was only full of drinks and snacks, but would soon be full of many students having fun, dancing with their friends, and singing their favorite songs. Sometimes at a normal dance, everyone splits off into their own little groups, but this night everyone was joined together under the tent as one large group. It felt like this dance really brought everyone together.
(photo taken by Skyler McMillen)
When students got thirsty or hungry, there was a variety of snacks and drinks available for them. These included water, chips, popcorn, and other popular snacks and candy. There were many new songs played, and everyone was chanting the words together. Overall, the event felt very unifying and unique.
Over the entirety of the 2 hours, everyone had a great time showcasing their best dance moves to their friends, taking lots of beautiful pictures, and singing their hearts out on the dance floor. It was almost as if it ended too soon. Eventually the last song would be played, and everyone would exit the parking lot as the music faded out, their heads full of exciting memories to last a lifetime.
After the dance, I asked some students what they thought of it so I could get a better understanding of how people experienced the dance. Skyler McMillen described the dance as, “Quite an experience, being the first dance in a while,” adding, “It had a good, wholesome feeling, and it had a lot of positive energy.” Another student, Rylee Hoy, noted that she, “liked that it [the dance] was outside because there was more fresh air. The decorations were very nice.” Finally, Riley Hoffman said that the dance, “was a 10/10. It was fun, everyone standing around in a circle, jumping up and down.”
In the end, many students had a better time than they thought they would at the outside dance. One student noted that they enjoyed the dance even more than a regular one because the dance being held outside “switched it up” and was a fun, new experience. This student also said that even though it was night, and began to get cold outside, she could barely even notice the temperatures until after the dance because of how engaged she was in all the fun activities.
This begs the question, will there ever be another outside pep rally or dance again? We’ve found out that hosting these events outside is definitely doable, and many people enjoyed them, so we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds!
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