MVHS held its childhood TV-themed Homecoming rally in the gym on Friday, Oct. 4. Clad in purple, yellow, lavender and white class shirts, students cheered for their classmates and waved pom poms as gold sparks erupted from machines by the doors. The rally closed out Homecoming week with a packed sequence of games and high-energy performances, ending in the sophomore Class of 2027 winning the rally and the senior Class of 2025 winning Homecoming week.
Leadership’s spirit commission coordinated the rally games, including both team and individual games involving basketballs, balloons and whipped cream, as well as the recurring hamster ball game. For junior Sean Foo, participating in the game was a way to support his class and he says he enjoyed hearing everyone cheer.
The rally also included music from Marching Band and Choir as well as dance numbers from the MVHS Dance Team, Cheer, Hip-hop Club, Korean Club Dance Crew and the senior co-ed dance group. Freshman Sophie Chen says she enjoys performing at rallies with the Dance Team because it helps her get her spirit up. Although as a class officer, she sometimes finds it hectic switching roles in the middle of the rally, she says the excitement of performing gives her the energy to encourage the rest of her class.
Chen says she and the other class officers spent a lot of time trying to coordinate with their respective classes, using Instagram to advertise the rally and making sure everybody knew the dress code and sing-along songs. She feels the rally went much better for the freshmen than the Welcome Back rally did, as everyone seemed more excited, especially with the sing-along song and class chant. Senior Dorothy Zheng says she’s seen a similar trend among the seniors over the years, culminating in a final Homecoming rally that was especially spirited and memorable.
“A lot of the rallies can be slightly boring, but this one was really cool because I didn’t realize how fast it went by,” Zheng said. “We’re the grade coming out right after out of quarantine, so it was kind of crazy going from nothing to suddenly so much spirit.”
Foo notes that school spirit has also improved over time in the junior class, making it possible to add a boys dance to their skit and improve their performance with rally games. He hopes his class can be even more spirited next year, especially since it will be his senior year and final Homecoming.
“I just try to stay as hyped as possible,” Foo said. “I try to make sure my friends have at least some school spirit. I’ve always seen it in TV shows and other high schools and I’ve always thought of it as super fun. So I try to be as spirited as possible.”
