Winter Pep Rally lights it up
On Friday, January 26, Samo’s ASB kicked off the first pep rally of the semester in the North Gym, hosted by seniors Griffin Seals (’24) and Jayden Montanez (’24). Efforts from the rally hosts, performers and sports teams all contributed to creating a memorable experience for all attendees, exemplifying the spirit of high school in one of its most quintessential recurring events.
The Jan. pep rally was separated into two different events: one for upperclassmen attendees and one for the lower grades. ASB chose a "rave" theme, electing to turn off the gym lights and instead use spotlights, colorful lasers and audience-held neon glowsticks to illuminate the space. This, along with the lively, immersive music, contributed to the feeling that students were attending a high-energy concert or dancing at a club.
“It was pretty fun, I was a little nervous going into it,” Montanez said. “But I went out there and just sort of had fun with it, had a great time, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to do it again in the future.”
Jayden Montanez (’24) and Griffin Seals (’24) kick off the Winter Pep rally in the North Gym
Photo credit: Martin Ledford
As per tradition, the winter pep rally began with the national anthem performed by Samo’s esteemed Chamber Choir. Afterward, Montanez introduced Samo’s Pep Squad, where the Samo Golden Poms performed a routine to songs by Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Shakira and Drake followed by a performance by Samo Cheer featuring songs by Ken Carson, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Ice Spice.
Then, the winter varsity sports teams performed short skits to encourage student attendance at their home games. Basketball player Anton Berge Wells (’24) performed a dunk on the North Gym basketball hoop during the Boys' Varsity Basketball introduction. Varsity Basketball Coach James Hecht, who is also a math teacher at Samo, was recognized during the rally for reaching a milestone of five hundred career wins as a high school basketball coach.
“I appreciate Coach Hecht’s passion for the game and his conviction to teach players both the fundamentals of basketball as well as higher level play,” Varsity Basketball Player Holden Hendrickson (’24) said.
To emphasize the sense of community among rallygoers, students became competitive while playing “Finish the Lyrics,” which was won by the seniors and by the sophomores at their respective rallies. The festivities ended with a performance by the Madrigal Choir of the Samo Hymn of Praise, during which many Samo students traditionally threw peace signs or “V” signs for Vikings to show school spirit.