R.C.H.S. students have already learned to be ready for something different at this year’s pep-rallies. Teachers and students at The Rock have been gathering and sharing ideas on ways to help our school spirit when the chance for a pep-rally comes around.

Mrs. Buckner and Mr. Cope, both English teachers here at our school, have been trying to make our pep-rallies better since the beginning of this school year. They’ve added funny skits, new cheers, music, video, and more.

Mrs. Buckner said that our school spirit is important to her. "Our student moral is low," Mrs. Buckner said. "If we can change the climate at pep-rallies, it may translate into better involvement in the classroom, especially if students see enthusiasm from teachers."

Students have also helped with the rallies by coming up with new ideas. Mr. Cope’s third block Media class helped gather ideas from other students and generate new ideas for how to make the rallies more fun.

After the first two pep-rallies, many students seemed to appreciate the difference. "I liked that they involved everyone," one sophomore, Rachel Holcomb said. Jamie Morgan, a freshman, said, "I loved the music; it was spiffy."

When they were asked what they would like to see in the future, some students had some ideas about how the pep-rallies could improve. "I couldn’t hear anything," freshman Levi Bradley said, "We need a new sound system." Dakota Williams, a sophomore, said, "I didn’t like the fact that we had to sit with our grade."

Overall, though, school spirit has seemed to be very positive about the improved pep-rallies. That’s something Mrs. Buckner wants to see continue. "High school should be an experience students will never forget," she said. "Some of the best memories will be those that are shared between students and teachers at events like pep-ralllies."