It’s rally day. Decked out in your class colors, you head to the gym and prepare for the festivities, events, and the anticipated yell competition. However, you look up to the student section and find a sparse gathering in your class’s section. Lessening of spirit at Novato High has become a common theme amongst the school’s reputation, and rally days are no exception. 

While the loud atmosphere and competitive nature isn’t fit for all, the number of students that attend pep rallies has seen a significant drop. 

Rallies begin at the end of fourth period, preceding lunch. Most rallies don’t fill the entire allotted time slot, which creates an earlier release to lunch than scheduled. Some may see the entire rally as a means of having one large lunch block, which may encourage ditching them entirely. 

However, students may find themselves escaping the rallies for a plethora of different reasons. 

“I don’t like going to rallies because I either get too bored or too hot,” said junior Annika Guerrero. 

Junior Calvin Boyden Walker forgoes rallies for another reason, a medical omission. 

“I was excused from rallies by my counselor freshman year. I struggle with sensory overload, where one or more of my senses, like sight or hearing, gets overwhelmed, which makes me prone to migraines and the like,” said Boyden Walker. “I feel kind of bad that I can’t go, as I know leadership puts effort and time into the rallies. But on the plus side, the participant count at the rallies has fallen enough that it’s not just me playing chess in the counselor’s office anymore.” 

For those who do enjoy rallies, lack of attendance can be disheartening. Junior Abbie Brandt shared her thoughts on low turnouts at rallies. 

“I think that rallies are a fun aspect of high school that you only get to experience during these four years and the more people that show up and have spirit, the more fun it will be,” said Brandt. 

Feeling similarly, senior Sam Rapp shared her thoughts. 

“I like rallies because I want to have that classic high school experience,” Rapp said. “It’s something that I won’t be able to experience once I leave and there’s only so many I’ll have in a lifetime. It’s the same philosophy I have for dances; I want to experience the most during my time during high school so I don’t regret not being involved later in life.”

Rapp also explained the appeal of the big high school events.

“Personally, it’s exciting to dress up and get spirited and feel involved in something bigger because when else are you going to be able to do this in your life than now? I think people who don’t go to rallies are missing out on the potential to have an amazing high school experience. They aren’t for everyone but the alternative of just not being involved and missing out on this once in a lifetime thing seems incomprehensible,” she said. 

High school only lasts four years. Do with it what you must, however the experiences of high school and key events that are offered won’t repeat themselves for the rest of your life.