The Back to School Rally: Hype or Waste Pipe?

The effect of the rally on freshmen, written by a freshman.

Staff Writer

For students entering their first year of high school, the Back to School Rally was supposed to be their warm welcome to AHS. But what effect did the rally have on the newly arrived class of 2027? And is this rally what they should expect later on?

Phoebe Luo (9) and Gyan S. Kalra (9) went into their first rally with great expectations. “I was actually really excited,” recalled Luo. Kalra shared similar sentiments, stating that “We had high expectations, yes. We expected to be able to play games in the rally.” It wasn’t only the freshmen that were excited, however. “We were moderately excited,” said Luke Viñas (12). “I know the one last year was super crowded, so we were really looking forward to this year’s.”

Kalra answered with a definitive “no” when asked if the rally met his expectations. Kalra particularly lamented the lack of student participation in the rally, stating that the seniors and teachers “performed for us and played games that we definitely could not play in.” The main issues for Luo were that “It was really short. And the mics were dying, so I could not hear what they were saying.”

Indeed, the time constraints and scheduling were chief among the coordinators’ concerns. “I’d say that the biggest difficulty was the entire rally being rescheduled,” remembered Manoj. “This year was the first year that we tried to split it up, so all classes would be supported.” While trying out a different scheduling system was one cause of the shortness of the rally, “unfortunately there were a lot of technical difficulties, which will be getting fixed,” said Manoj.

Viñas recollected that the rally was similar to previous rallies. “It was kind of the same. I was expecting it to be a little bit more hype[d]. It was only a certain group that was hyped.” Viñas also noticed that “Last year, the senior class was super excited about every single rally, but this year it was more mellow.”

It wasn’t all bad, however. The most memorable moment of the rally was, for Kalra, “a bodybuilder, a teacher and a police officer going against three teachers. That was hilarious.” Viñas also enjoyed the tug-of-war, stating that it was particularly fun because he recognized some of the teachers, including the one who suddenly dropped down and started doing push-ups. “That was Mr. Savoie,” Viñas recalled. Indeed, the tug of war was “supposed to be the most exciting part of the rally,” said Manoj.

Besides tug-of-war, other parts of the rally were popular among freshmen. “I liked the energy,” stated Luo. “They split up the student council and everyone was just screaming. That was fun.” When asked about the highlights of the rally, Kalra fondly thought of the eagle mascot. “The costume design was immaculate,” Kalra remembered.

The rally was mostly well-received by freshmen, as well as the rest of the school. Kalra believed that the rally was a courteous gesture. “It showed me that the teachers did not only care about our education, but also about students having a pleasant experience at the school.” Luo reflected on the general effect of the rally on the school, stating that “We are so hyper, and we have so much spirit.” Comparing AHS with other tri-city schools, Luo noticed with a smile that “At cross country meets we’re the loudest school there!”

Viñas summarized the American High spirit well, stating that “We’re a very peppy school.” All this was the intent of the coordinators, as Manoj stated: “I think the ultimate takeaway that we wanted from all of this was just to remind students and show them that American is supposed to be welcoming.”

Caption: Students at the Back to School rally cheer and scream their heads off. The rally generated much anticipation among freshmen, but for many it did not live up to their expectations. Nevertheless, it served its purpose in inspiring school spirit. “I would give it a solid 8.5 out of 10,” stated Kalra (PC: Brandon Le).