If you have been to Chapman for at least a semester, you have probably been to a Chapman High pep rally — either voluntarily or by force.
There’s a problem, though: Many don’t want to be there.
If you have seen our pep rallies, they are outright pitiful.
What has changed for our students?
If you go back to 2014, our school made a video doing a school “lip sync.”
At the end of the video, there is a live panther in the gym.
Yes, you read correctly: a live panther.
When you compare the school spirit in this video to ours, it’s shocking just how much has changed.
I’d say we can pin the change on thing: cell phones.
Even though students then did have cell phones, it was different. Phones weren’t quite as smart, and social media wasn’t quite as prevalent.
Cell phones have shortened students’ attention spans to the point where they can’t stay engaged for an hour-long pep rally.
Another key component can be students’ egos and attitudes towards these rallies. Students often seem to have the attitude that they are “too cool for school” to begin with.
So asking them to participate in silly games, be attentive and stand up in front of a crowd can often make students feel like they are embarrassing themselves.
Not having pep pep rallies ultimately hurts the school, as school spirit is essential for a high school to thrive.
Check the students’ attitudes toward school now; many hate it, and, in addition to all the new rules being put into effect, many feel they have no voice.
From my personal experience, I have been to around seven-eight pep rallies, and I only remember one. It had plenty of school spirit, and many seemed happy to be there. This school spirit can also correlate with sports. If players are excited about being there and practicing, it will result in victories for the team.
At the end of the day, students should put up their phones, get rid of their egos and learn to enjoy pep rallies. We only get four years here; you want to remember how much fun you had, not the TikTok video you watched in class.
It will benefit not only you but the whole school. We should at least try to make an effort to enjoy pep rallies.