McLean students unleashed their pre-homecoming excitement at the pep rally on Oct. 18. They showcased their school spirit by adorning their spirit wear, sporting their vibrant class colors.
“It’s definitely a vibe and it’s pretty amazing to just be here with the entire grade and just realize that we’re all seniors,” senior Sara Gladczenko said. “It shows great school spirit and McLean has a lot of that. I’m proud to be a Highlander. It’s always a great day to be a Highlander.”
Behind the scenes, the 2024-25 McLeadership had planned each pep rally activity and hosted events during the weekday to boost excitement for the homecoming football game and the dance.
“It is a whole leadership class endeavor,” said Karen McGraham, a McLeadership co-teacher. “They come up with the games, find the teachers to participate, find the groups to participate and find out who all the captains are. They just try to organize the [activity] they think students would want to come out to and see to get the spirit up.”
The pep rally’s goal was to get students jazzed up for upcoming events, such as the homecoming dance, while also putting a brightening end to the spirit week. The pep rally hosted a series of activities, ranging from tug-of-war between the fall sports captains to a costume race amongst selected students and teachers.
“To me, the pep rally represents how hype we’re getting for the football game and for homecoming. It’s just a build-up of excitement for what’s about to happen. It’s gonna be a great weekend,” Gladczenko said.
The pep rally gave McLean seniors an opportunity to reflect on their four years and bond with their classmates over their growth throughout high school.
“Everyone has put in so much work to make this happen,” senior Morgan Gary said. “We have different committees, and especially the pep rally committee has done so much work to plan this, make scripts and put in the work to help make this all come true.”
