On October 24, the DHS gymnasium was filled with students segregated by their classes and roaring with anticipation for the results of their Spirit Week endeavors and scheduled festivities. Although there were some negative changes in tradition, many students thought the rally was a success.

One aspect that made the experience difficult was the faulty sound system. Senior Devon LaChapelle said, “I thought the fact that we couldn’t hear any of the names or anything being announced on the microphones really took away from the anticipation of it all. It was more confusing than exciting.”

And it was true. The words could hardly be discerned through the racket by anyone in the crowd.

A low point was the listing of each varsity athlete who competed this fall. “There was no point in listing all the names. No one was interested,” said senior Nancy Nguyen.

Junior Abbey Branco also saw this as a negative and said, “The role call-like announcements about sports wasn’t the best change from last year’s.”

The combination of the bad sound system and the repetition of each name made for a monotonous and lengthy part of the event.

The results of the Spirit Week challenge are where much of the discussion regarding the event has been directed. The seniors placed second and the juniors first. Yet no numerical scores were reported. Many were left with questions about the breach in tradition.

Many felt that the seniors deserved to win. “They deserved to win. Winning the pep rally is a senior rite of passage,” said junior Alexandra Nichols.

For some, though, the results were generally a positive thing. “I’m proud of our class for beating the seniors, but unfortunately, there is a lot of speculation on whether or not we won fairly,” said junior Rumi Lazarova. “I understand the seniors were looking forward to winning, and I’m sorry they didn’t, but it is what it is.”

Considering all the changes this year, senior Justin Belmonte said, “I thought the pep rally was a disappointment that squashed traditions.”

The traditions that changed included the seniors entering the gymnasium last, and class skits being removed from the schedule.

Senior Matthew Jones had a strong opinion on the matter. “The seniors in no way deserved to win,” he said. “The theme of the week was sportsmanship, and the senior class showed exactly the opposite at the pep rally. I felt profound disappointment when I heard them yelling profanities at the other classes.”

There were some actions, including the chanting of swears and booing of the freshman class, that were viewed as inappropriate and even offensive by many.

“I was disappointed, but I feel that I have addressed that issue,” said DHS Principal John Gould. Mr. Gould looked to move past the incident after presenting a speech addressing the qualities of poise and community to the senior class when facing an event such as this.

However, some students thought the reaction by the administration was somewhat misguided. “I didn’t like how they reamed us out for booing the freshmen when it wasn’t just us who did that,” said senior Nancy Nguyen.

The administration was addressing the senior class not only for their actions as individuals, but also as role models for the underclassmen. “I was disappointed in the swearing that happened when the seniors were yelling,” said DHS Associate Principal Joanne Desmarais.

Many among the student body still felt that the rally was successful in accomplishing its goals. “Overall, I think it was the most school spirit we could pull off without causing complete anarchy, so it was pretty good in my mind,” said Branco.

Feeling that the the pep rally was a success, senior Daria Comeau said, “[Even] as a senior, I don’t care who won. All I know is that my friends and I had a great time getting into the spirit and couldn’t care less who won.”

The administration also thought it went well overall. Mr. Gould said, “I thought the kids were very well behaved by-and-large. We just have to be a community that supports one another.”

Also feeling this way, Ms. Desmarais said, “I thought it went smoothly. There were no injuries this year.”

The idea of holding another pep rally this year has not been taken off the table. “I’ve asked Mrs. Sharp [Interim Dean Janice Sharp] to consider the possibility,” said Mr. Gould.