All that was seen today was excitement, liveliness, peppiness, green, black and white. Yup, that’s right—tonight, October 21, is Homecoming. It’s also the night of the Pep Rally in the gym. The bleachers are packed to a max with Daler spirit, the crowd is very loud with enthusiasm. “I enjoyed playing Sweet Caroline at the Pep Rally with the rest of the Pep Band,” says one of the sophomore trumpet players, Cristian Castiglione. The Pep Band is playing remarkably as always, especially Sweet Caroline. On one side of the gym, there are the Pep Band, the freshmen, and the sophomores. On the other side of the gym are the parents, seniors, and the juniors. A few students and parents were given green and white pom-poms, and others were given a darker green ‘#WeAreDalers’ rubber bracelet. Everyone is cheering on one another, showing their support for our yearly event. Our mascot, sophomore Alayna Camisa, is one of the best mascots that we have had in years, and will be for the next two.

“The pep rally was really fun and exciting. It was cool to see everyone there participating in a school event. I’m looking forward to the next pep rally because performing in front of a crowd is one of my favorite things to do. I am also very excited because knowing it will be my last pep rally makes it even more special!! I also get to be a part of the senior dance,” said by one of the many Varsity Cheerleaders, junior Gabriella Guetta. She enjoyed the aspect of participating in the pep rally and performing her Homecoming and varsity routines in front of a crowd. Gabriella and the rest of the team started preparing for this night since the first day of August, practicing five days a week for a few hours each day. Every one of the teams that performed (the JV/Varsity Daler Cheerleaders, the Dalerettes and the Steppin’ Dalers) spent weeks practicing for Homecoming. All that hard work really paid off in the end because they were absolutely stunning. “My favorite part of the Pep Rally was the Steppin’ Dalers.” commented one junior student. She and many others agree that their favorite part of the Pep Rally was the Steppin’ Dalers. Their routine always brightens up everyone’s mood. The cheerleaders were a tremendous way to start off the Pep Rally and the Steppin’ Dalers were a great way to end the Pep Rally.

The 2016-2017 Pep Rally was definitely a major success. All of the performances were mind-blowing and there was plenty of school spirit. Many people who were there thought this year’s Homecoming was one of the best we’ve had so far, between our mascot, our Pep Band, and the performances of the cheer team, Dalerettes and the Steppin’ Dalers. To those who came to the Pep Rally: Thank you for all of your support—and to those who were unable to make it, hopefully you will join us next year.  

***Photo Courtesy of Lifetouch