The 2012-13 school year has gotten off to a good start with Padua’s first pep rally of the year. The pep rally was held in the gym as a part of Padua’s Homecoming weekend. Though the pep rally is held every year, there was a slight change at this specific event. Since the freshman class size is larger than past freshmen classes, the juniors were put next to the freshman while the sophomores were seated next to the seniors. This did not seem to phase anyone, and the pep rally continued as planned. The student council ran the event, with our Secretary, Sam Scarpone, leading the student body in the Serenity Prayer.
After prayer the pep rally began with a performance by the Padua Academy Dance Team. The team danced to a song sung by one of their very own members, Caity Williams ‘13. The performance energized the students, and they were ready for some fun and games. The first game played was called Balloon Pop Puzzle. Two students from each grade had to find their balloon color, pop the balloons by sitting on them and grab the papers inside. The papers had lyrics on them, and the students had to use charades to help their class figure out what song was on the paper. Arielle Farrare ‘13, and Regan Huffman ‘13, quickly acted out the song, and the whole class sang along, making seniors the winner. Musical Chairs, a classic pep rally tradition, was next. Four students from every grade had to walk around the circle of chairs until the music stopped. After the music stopped each student fought to find an open chair. The game was intense, and senior, Meaghan Dugan, ended up being the winner.
After two victories for the seniors, Padua’s Cheerleading Team came out onto the gym floor. Mats were put down and the cheerleaders soon began tumbling and cheering. To continue the school spirit, Padua’s Volleyball Team taught the students a cheer which they often say at games called, “Wish You Were A Panda Girl.” The cheering pumped up the students for another game, Blind Free-Throw. In this game, two girls from each grade came onto the court. One of the girls was blindfolded and had to try to make a shot with the basketball, while the other girl guided her on where to throw. After a few missed baskets, Alex Barba, ‘13, scored for the seniors, making them the winners once again.
The student council then announced that the students were going to play, Finish The Lyrics. Music was played and when the lyrics stopped, each class had to finish them. Whichever class was the loudest, won. The senior class won the first round with “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the freshman won the second round with “Call Me Maybe,” and the juniors won the final round with “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Right after the game, the dance team performed their second routine. This time, they had a few special guests: the dance team’s coach, a few of her crew members, Todd and Mouse (who was on America’s Next Best Dance Crew on MTV). The pep rally was ended with a traditional cheering of, “We got spirit, yes we do. We’ve got spirit, how ‘bout you?!” Padua’s Homecoming pep rally was a great time full of school spirit, sisterhood, and lasting traditions.
