The school year consists of many fun events, such as rallies in the main gym and festivals like Spring Fest. These very activities are pivotal to students enjoying high school and finding motivation amid the stress of schoolwork itself. Every quarter, a rally is held where classes compete to win a trophy for the overall title. The first competition is the decorations, as each class arrives early at 5:30 AM to accessorize their section to gain as many spirit points as they can. The most popular part of the rallies is the eventful games that are not your usual sports game or relay. While these quarter rallies involve an extraneous thought process and effort put into them, there is an event that is arguably the most dreadful but exhilarating of them all.
The Dance Rally is the quarter four rally, but it has gained significance for all participating students. This is like no other rally, as yes, there are games and competitions, but the largest of contests in this Dance Rally is the dance put together by each individual class. Each class of volunteering students must practice with one another for one month in preparation to hopefully take the win home. This idea sounds amazingly fun, and surely it is, but the key factor that plays into the equation is the scheduling of practices. I speak for many when I say that I value my sleep, as it is the only time I can truly rest from the world. Unfortunately, when you commit to the Dance Rally, you lose about an hour of this slumber. Every class’s practices vary from 7 to 7:15 in the morning, meaning you must now come to school a whole hour earlier than usual to be with your peers. While this might sound like the end of the world, the social aspect is an appealing factor, as in the end, the finished product of community will all be worth it. Each class has a team of choreographers, and for us sophomores, one of them is Catharine Punzalan (2028). Punzalan was a choreographer in the previous dance rally, creating the boy-girl dance portion. Punzalan understands the early mornings, but “I feel like a lot of people complain, but I know that it is always worth it even if you get less sleep because you can have new friendships and just have fun.” Punzalan (2028) emphasizes that while getting up early in the mornings can be difficult, the end is always worth it as you build friendships and you are ultimately contributing to your high school experience with no regrets.
On the flip side, many students enjoy the process but can barely deal with these dreadful mornings. Sarah Davis (2028) is also a choreographer for the sophomore class, but she struggles a bit more with the daily task of an early morning. “It’s tempting to just sleep in but in the end it is worth it because we get to dance altogether.” Punzalan (2028) and Davis (2028) have different but similar views on this dance rally, but at the crack of dawn, they both choose to show up every day for their peers. Dance Rally is always associated with anticipation and excitement, but the truth is that there is a factor that many do not speak of: the morning practices. In the end, all who participate in this dance rally are glad they accomplished this goal of pushing themselves. You only live out your high school dreams once, and doing this dance rally only adds to your great experience filled with memories. This end-of-the-year rally is less about the dance and more about your class coming together as one, achieving one goal through discomfort and ambition. Who do you think is taking the trophy for this year’s dance rally?
