This Friday, Calabasas ASB is hosting the first pep rally since the COVID-19 pandemic. By moving outside, there have been changes made in order to turn this long-awaited dream into reality. 

After nearly two years of remote learning, students are eager to experience a sense of normalcy through attending an event where they get to show off school spirit and come together as a class. Traditionally, Calabasas pep rallies have been hosted in the gym. However, due to health regulations and safety concerns, this rally will be held on the football field in order for students to remain distanced and be outside.

“Pep rallies are being moved from the gym to the football field due to COVID-19 regulations,” said Jessica Naidrich, an ASB pep commissioner. “The whole school will be moved outside, so we have more space and fresh air.”

However, being outside also poses new challenges for ASB. Opposed to the enclosed environment of the gym, students will have to be spread out on the bleachers; The freshmen, sophomores and juniors will sit on the home side, and the seniors will have the entire section on the visitors side.  

“Seating and dividing the grades into separate bleachers was a challenge we came across,” said Casey Marvin, another ASB pep commissioner. “This is the first year we have three pep commissioners, so it will be easier to keep all of the students hyped.”

Typical CHS pep rallies feature strobe lights, decorations and music to keep up the high energy in the gym. Each grade sports their class color, contributing to the morale and spirit brought by the commissioners. With the need to acclimate to the different environment of the field, ASB members must discover new ways to engage the students. 

“[Maintaining the energy] won’t be an issue,” said AJ Kriegel, the third ASB pep commissioner. “Keep your expectations high [because] the pep rallies will be cool.”

In an effort to make the best out of the situation, the pep commissioners have been working hard to make the first pep rally as fun and entertaining as possible. Nevertheless, there are mixed emotions on the significant changes happening for the Friday rally. 

“I feel okay with this change,” said Naidrich. “I obviously would have hoped that we had our first rally inside the gym like how it always used to, but with the regulations I do understand why we need to put it on outside. I just hope we are able to do a pep rally in the gym at one point this year.”

Despite the inconvenience of these adjustments, ASB continues to unite the student body and celebrate school spirit in-person, for the first time since March of 2020.