Pushing rally back one week relieves stress for Leadership, administration

Attributing the change to stress incurred during the 2009 Welcome Back week, administration postponed the Welcome Back rally, traditionally held on the first Friday of the school year, to the second week, on Sept. 3.

“Last year, we had Welcome Back week the first week of school, and the next week we started planning for Homecoming. There was no time to recuperate and get a solid footing,” Dean of Students Denae Moore said. “This first week, [ASB Leadership] got to spend some time planning and establishing a stronger foundation.”

Changing the rally date not only relieved stress for ASB Leadership, but for the administration and student body as well. Last year, the Welcome Back rally, the staff’s Pay Day Barbecue and the Welcome Back dance all fell on the same day, which increased the administrators’ workload.

“When you first come to school [after the summer], there is so much going on, we just figured we’d give [the students] a break,” ASB Social Manager Yeshar Hadi said.

Aside from the change in date, the rally rubric, which includes categories for class unity, decorations and rally games, also changed. This year, fewer points are allotted for poster decorations, while other aspects of class unity, such as cheering, can earn more.

“We didn’t feel that [the rubric] correctly graded [the rally]. It put too much pressure on things like the poster,” Hadi said. “ A lot of people never really see it. They just walk in and cheer. They try. That’s what’s important.”

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