by Mollie Jones (’27) | October 6, 2023
Saint Francis witnessed a “Party in the U.S.A.” at last month’s Back-to-School pep rally. Various school groups, including educators, Rally Board, Varsity Fall Sports athletes, Band, Student Council, Pom Squad, Color Guard, and Cheerleading, were all involved in the production of the grand event. The band kicked off the rally with a rendition of “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, as the color guard added a visual flair with their flags. This initial performance set the tone for the rally, inspiring students to feel energized and proud of their school.
On the day of the rally, each student’s grade level was easily distinguishable through their proudly donned class colors—gold, brown, white, or black. The rally took place inside the gym, where each grade level occupied its designated section within the bleachers. Cross-sectional games fostered both rivalry and camaraderie, encouraging all students to involve and enjoy themselves. Each grade also had its own unique chant, thanks to the efforts of the respective student councils. These chants were passionately sung throughout the gym, voices echoing against the walls. Even the freshmen, initially struggling to learn their chants, quickly caught on and were soon shouting: “We are gold, we are bold, ’27 take control!”
The rally featured three captivating videos: a fall sports hype video showcasing varsity teams in a music video style montage, a “freaky” teacher swap video where educators and staff traded jobs, and “The Lancelot,” a Bachelor spin-off video where students vied for the affection of the school mascot. Isabelle Von der Ahe (’27) shared that her favorite video was the one where teachers swapped places. “I liked that the main focus was the teachers putting on a comedy show for us students.” These educators indeed delivered a memorable performance, setting aside their time to participate in an hilarious video for students’ entertainment.
Not only were teachers on a screen, but some of the new teachers also performed “First Class” by Jack Harlow. In addition to a minute of choreography with sunglasses, the teachers also rapped some bars. Mr. Lucas was front and center and posed as Jack Harlow himself. With his striking similarity to the celebrity, Mr. Lucas was most certainly the man for the job. By the end of the performance, almost every student and faculty member was on their feet applauding the group of teachers.
After an exhilarating rally, transitioning back to regular class schedules proved challenging for the students. However, they knew that they needed to conserve some energy for the Saint Francis versus Archbishop Mitty football game scheduled for later that night. Overall, rallies like these serve as extremely unifying experiences for the school community, getting students spirited for the sporting event later that day, and setting the stage for a sense of belonging throughout the school year.
