On Sept. 28th, the day before the homecoming football game, all Schreiber students attended the Fall 2018 Pep Rally. The Pep Rally is one of the most popular events that occurs annually at Schreiber. It also allows students to show their school spirit, as everybody comes together to complete activities while decked out in the school colors of blue and white.

On Friday, the periods were be shortened from one hour to 50 minutes in order to ensure that students would be able to come to the gym on time and get the most out of their Pep Rally experience. When they arrived to the gym, they sat by grade on one side of the gym while the fall sports teams and clubs sat on the other side. To kick off the event, both the Portettes and cheerleaders performed. They had practiced since the beginning of the school year, and the crowd reacted to their stunts, tricks, and kicks with enthusiasm.  Both teams’ dances hyped up the students on the bleachers for the other activities to come.

All of the sports teams were encouraged to compete with each other in comedic games and competitions, such as the Fruit By The Foot Challenge, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Doughnut on a String, and more. Team members were able to sign up in the lobby to participate in these challenges to help earn points for their grade.   

“One the the best things about being on swim team is the relationship we build with one another. Pep Rally is a great way to bond with our team and become enthusiastic about what we love to do,” said junior Shae Crowley.

The Fall Pep Rally is usually a time for Schreiber’s varsity teams to be showcased, while in the spring, it’s more of a competition between grades. Players show their spirit by dressing up in their team uniforms. They will also be able to compete in the tug-of-war competition held every year. Last year, two teams even shocked the crowd by breaking the rope.  It is also great for incoming freshmen to get a taste of Schreiber spirit, and to look forward to participating in future years.

Although the Fall Pep Rally was mainly focused on sports teams and clubs, many of the students who attended the event ended up finding themselves very immersed in cheering for the teams and watching the games.  

“Even though I don’t play a sport, I still have fun getting spirited and I like supporting everybody in my grade who is a part of a team. Pep Rally is the best,” said junior Julia Oppenheim.  

So many people contributed to this day to make it as special and entertaining as possible. The tradition remains that senior girls will host Pep Rally. This year, the emcees were seniors Julia Ciorciari, Tara McCarthy, and Tyler Greenberg. Many students also took part in the event by being in charge of music that was played on the speakers. Some teachers also participated and got into the school spirit alongside their students. 

This year, Schreiber brought in a new Vikings mascot to amp up the school spirit. Its new features include a blue uniform, a cape that says “Vikings,” and bright blonde hair. 

“The new uniform is so fitting for our school! The costume really gets me ready to cheer and get into the spirit of Pep Rally,” said sophomore Emily Sandman. 

Many Schreiber students were looking forward to Pep Rally as it helps to relieve some of the stress from the beginning of the school year. It’s a great way to take students’ minds off the workload and ease everyone into the new year. 

“The Pep Rally is a wonderful. It helps get students minds off of school, and helps people focus on having fun,” said sophomore Sam Korn. 

The activites, music, and cheering never fails to get students excited for not only football game the following day, but also the school year ahead.