The marching band started off the festivities by playing of the National Anthem. Then, representatives from each grade walked around the gym holding their class Spirit Week banners. Freshmen displayed their “candy aisle” banner while the sophomores showcased a vibrant “checkout aisle” banner. The junior class carried their “pharmacy aisle” banner while the seniors showed off their “cosmetics aisle” banner.

The cheerleaders performed a routine with many challenging formations. The crowd reacted with equal enthusiasm while watching their impressive moves.

Next, Mr. Bob Hulme, the Athletics Director, introduced the all conference athletes from the fall sports teams. East has approximately 50 all conference athletes, which is more than most schools in the area. The girls cross country, field hockey, football, boys soccer, girls soccer, tennis, and volleyball teams were also honored.

The dance team then walked out onto the gym floor in a cloud of fog. They performed to a mix of popular hip-hop songs and entertained the already enthusiastic crowd.

After more music from the marching band, Mike Neil (’07) introduced the senior football players individually.

Finally, it came time for the winners of the Spirit Week dance competition to perform their skit. With the help of class advisors Mr. Greg Gagliardi and Ms. Katie Kelly, the juniors danced, lip-synched, and acted to a variety of illness-related songs. Among the crowd favorites were N*Sync’s, “It Makes Me Ill” and “Temperature” by Sean Paul. The juniors’ unique costumes and interesting use of props demonstrate much time effort put into the performance.

Wednesday’s pep rally proves that East has had another successful Spirit Week. It cultivated school spirit and motivated students for Saturday’s homecoming game against West.