The Highlanders displayed an abundance of pride and school spirit at the 2012 fall pep rally. Once again the student council did a tremendous job of organizing this event.
             “The best part was how all the teams were pumped up and the challenges were entertaining,” said a member of the sophomore class. There was a pumpkin drawing contest, a book stacking contest and a dancing contest, all clever ideas created by the student body. “The dance off between the football team, tennis team and honor society was great!” said a junior who found the whole ordeal hilarious.
           Although we have enthusiastic, fun pep rallies today, this wasn’t always the case. At one time, Highlander pep rallies were actually banned. Years ago seniors pulled a prank which included throwing mice into the congregation of students, bringing pep rallies to an end. Mrs. Bernstock decided to give the students a second chance when she became principal.
          The pep rallies have now turned into a great experience that students of all grades can enjoy. Rivalry between grades is also evident. “The best part of the pep rally was when the sophomores stole the senior sign,” a freshman admitted, laughing. Although there is tension between certain grades, the overall atmosphere is enthusiastic and full of pride at these events.
          Pep rallies are primarily designed to encourage sports teams before their games. This was accomplished in our fall pep rally of 2012 by the enthusiasm of the student body. Another contribution to the overall success was the upbeat and fantastic music the Highlander band played. This year’s fall pep rally set high standards for the rest of the year, and hopefully the winter and spring pep rally will be equally successful.