Pep rallies are a staple of the American high school experience. Often romanticized in movies and TV shows, they are associated with the stereotypical teenage dream. However, High School Musical does not convey the total truth. While Scarsdale’s thrice-yearly pep rallies can be funny, students rarely take interest, and the performances are often lackadaisical and even boring.
The entire student body is crammed into the gym’s bleachers for nearly an hour of half-hearted cheers and sweat. There are a few rogue shouts while a friend is performing with their sports team, but mostly it is a cacophony of unrelated conversations. Many students find it overwhelming and a tiresome addition to an already stressful school day. It is not a secret that students often skip the pep rally to go to the village and get lunch. The trail of people leaving the school is always noticeable. The administration claims attendance is mandatory but this policy is rarely enforced effectively.
This year, however, the administration made changes to try and increase pep rally attendance. They moved the event to be between second and third period, preventing students from having extended time before lunch. Despite this, it makes little difference. The fall pep rally did not see a sudden influx of students. The attendance seemed comparable to previous years when the new schedule was not yet in place.
Low attendance rates have continued with the new schedule for two reasons. Firstly, students often have so much work that it feels bothersome to lug their backpacks down to the gym to participate in an activity that pulls them away from what could otherwise be a free period. They could be finishing an English essay or math homework, or even meeting with a teacher.
The next, and most important reason, is that the student body simply lacks school spirit. The student body is mainly focused on schoolwork instead of school pride. Many students’ thoughts don’t linger on who won the football game or if the basketball team beat Mamaroneck. Of course, the players will care about their own games, but widespread knowledge of team sports is limited. Students do not have a distaste for Scarsdale High School, but there is a general sense of indifference.
Despite all of the negative sentiment, some students enjoy the pep rally and see its potential. It can be a fun time to see teachers compete in ridiculous challenges and watch friends perform. The opportunity for connection is valuable, but the student government cannot improve attendance without first elevating school spirit. Putting more emphasis on sports games and big wins could definitely help, because many people just do not know what is going on. Being informed is the first step towards creating a more enthusiastic culture around the school.
There are many different ways to spread this information. There could be more posters for specific sporting events and more coverage for games on the various Scarsdale-affiliated Instagram accounts. The administration could also display wins on different screens around the school, such as the one outside of the art gallery.
The culmination of the inconvenience of the pep rally and the lack of school spirit leads to very low attendance. Just changing the schedule is not going to suddenly boost morale and school spirit. With the always-busy culture that is drilled into people, it is difficult for them to find a buzz-worthy reason to attend. After all, there certainly isn’t FOMO to missing pep rallies.
