Teachers and students packed the big gym for the first pep rally of the spring semester, which took place on Feb. 20. It was filled with excitement and enjoyable performances from many organizations, including Warrior Pride and SunDancers. Additionally, students became better informed on how different student organizations such as soccer and the swim team were doing, and overall had a great time.

Students walked into the gym with loud and catchy music playing from the Westwood Band. Not only was the music fun and entertaining for students, but it was also exciting for the band members, who got a chance to perform in front of their teachers and peers.

“It’s really fun [to perform], it gives the band an opportunity to play outside of class, and kind of get back in the marching band mood,” Andrew Stevens ‘20 said. “I don’t really get nervous, it’s more like a family, so we are all really close to each other, and it’s a lot of fun.”

After most people found their seats, the cheerleaders got ready to put on a routine that they had prepared by setting up mats on the gym floor. Their routine consisted of cartwheels and stunt sequences, such as lifting a cheerleader up in the air and then creating a triangle.

“I like pep rallies because I really enjoy seeing what different groups are working on, and my favorite part is hearing the applause when I tumble,” Claire Fleming ‘21 said. “I didn’t really get nervous before the performance because I felt that the adrenaline from being in front of a crowd would carry me through.”

Following the performance from the cheerleaders, students involved in different athletics came up to the gym floor to share their accomplishments and upcoming games with their peers. This helped students become more aware of the activities going on in Westwood.

“Our season could not have been better. We won state, [and] it really doesn’t get better than that. But we are moving into our spring with a lot of momentum, and right now we are doing good in our weekly tournament, we are playing with the same confidence as the fall and it keeps getting better,” Daniel Antov ‘21 said. “I think I have really improved my focus on the court. Also my overall game is getting better and I owe it to the constant practice. There’s a lot of things I need to do, so I have to focus on improving a little bit every single day.”

The first dance performance of the pep rally was from Warrior Pride. It was the team’s first time performing at a pep rally this school year, and they danced to a loud, upbeat, hip hop song.

“I felt really proud of us as a team because we have worked so hard, and put in so much work into polishing our dance, and I am really proud of the end result,” Nivrithi Kuttuva ‘21 said. “At first I felt a little nervous performing in front of the whole school, but later on I realized that what mattered more was cherishing our opportunity to dance at the pep rally, and that made it a very memorable experience for me.”

Overall, the pep rally was a great time for many students to take a break from school and enjoy some stress free time with their friends. It also lifted the school spirit of teachers and students.

“I really liked the pep rally because it was a great time to catch up with friends that you don’t see often, and you also get to see cool things that many clubs do at Westwood. It is also fun to hear about how much all the athletic teams at Westwood accomplished,” Aashi Vishnoi ‘21 said.