This year’s Pep Rally ended Spirit Week with a bang. As the marching band played upbeat music, a sea of red took over the DiBart gym. Students filed in to sit with their class and watch the games begin.
After all students and faculty stood up for the national anthem, the cheerleaders kick-started the event with a performance of dances, cheer and stunts.
Next, students got riled up to cheer for their class’s student-made banners. The artists presented their creations for the entire gym, with each class’s Homecoming representatives following the display. The banners were then set aside to be judged before the final Spirit Week score tally.
Next, both girls’ and boys’ fall sports teams’ Second Team All Conference athletes were told to stand from their seats for applause. Brian Reynolds (’10), Mike Randall (’10), Francis Schmutz (’10), Brian Thomson (’10), Obi Onejeme (’10), Marissa Johnson (’10), Andrew Purcell (’10), Jessica Smith (’10) and Steve Omari (’10) were all brought to the center of the gym to be honored for their First Team All Conference titles. Randall, Schmutz and Johnson were then set aside for a special applause as All South Jersey athletes.
The cheerleaders performed again to the marching band’s music as the Spirit Week games were set up.
The tug-of-war finals consisted of the freshman and senior girls, leading to a victory for the seniors. The junior and senior boys then stepped up to the rope, also ending in a senior triumph.
The next game was a “little turn on musical chairs,” as Mr. CJ Davis, Activities Director, said. Steve Bell (’12), Kenny Soll (’11), Natalie Handali (’10), Michelle Langborgh (’13), Alex Myers (’10), Mr. Jeff Killion, Ms. Susan Nicolazzo, Ms. Katie Kelly, Ms. Kelly Germscheid and Mr. Greg Gagliardi all competed in a version of musical chairs where contestants were required to dance around to each spot. Gagliardi defeated the rest of the players, with Soll in second.
The football team then had their time to shine to pump up the school for the Thanksgiving Day football game. Captains Onejeme, Purcell and Jeff Chiusano (’10) introduced the senior players as the crowd cheered.
Mr. Michael Dappolone then walked onto the gym floor wearing a purple “WEST RULZ” shirt, preaching that Cherry Hill West is better than Cherry Hill East. Onejeme challenged him to a pie-eating contest but ended up tricking Dappolone. He and Davis secretly slipped Dappolone another pie so that he was eating two full pies rather than one. Onejeme laughed as he consumed no pies at all.
After an hour-long Pep Rally, the final Spirit Week scores were announced. The freshman came in fourth, the sophomores in third, the juniors in second and the seniors took first place.
Finally, the spirited East students walked out of school pumped for the East vs. West homecoming football game the next day.
Photos by Amanda Michelson (’10)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief
