On an early Friday morning, enthusiastic students in face paint and class colors transformed the Ube Gym with streamers and banners for the annual Homecoming pep rally. To wrap up an exciting spirit week of pajamas, twinning, white lies, jerseys, and Gelato Day, each class decked out in overwhelming class spirit as they packed the stands. The celebrations leading up to Homecoming are always highly anticipated, and the rally certainly brings out the most spirit in the Sage community.  

To kick off, class co-chairs led grade-level chants. Roaring cheers and loud stomps burst from each section of the stands as students demonstrated their spirit for the Sage Cup. Next, the Sage Hill Dance Team lit up the Ube with an upbeat performance to a bold mashup of “Gimme More,” “OMG,” and “Only Girl.”

The fun continued with the traditional pep rally games. This year, eager participants represented their respective grades by starting off the relay with a human ring toss. The first player had to toss inflatable rings to their teammate before they could proceed with a basketball free-throw contest. Once a basket had been made, the player could sprint back and allow the other teammates to proceed with a three-legged race. The fiery relay race captivated people and brought them to the edge of their seats, invigorating the spirit of the fiery competition. 

“I was glad to see everyone’s amazing school spirit,” said junior co-chair Max Razmjoo. “Pep Rally is always an exciting time for students.” 

Then, it was time for the main attraction: class skits. Every year, each grade-level coordinates an entertaining skit that incorporates Sage’s Six Core Competencies and the Honor Code. Whichever grade impresses the panel of judges—Ms. Merz, Mr. Campeau, and Dr. Balossi—takes first prize. 

Firstly, the freshmen performed their skit, which started off with two students deciding what movie they should watch. 

 “Sascha and I were elected a couple weeks before homecoming, so we put a lot of time into Pep Rally planning right after we took our positions as co-chairs,” said freshman Ella Wong. “We worked together to write up a skit in a couple of days and got our grade’s input in the process.” 

Next, Stryker made an appearance in both the sophomore and junior skits. The beloved lightning bolt guided the sophomores in their endeavors, and supported the juniors in a challenging year. At the end, students were rejoiced with Stryker’s reminder of the six C’s. Lastly, the seniors showcased a transition to college through a rendition of Scooby Doo, which took first place, followed by juniors in second, freshmen in third, and sophomores last. 

As the skits came to a close, students celebrated in the spirit of a successful pep rally, one that was certainly more dynamic and lively than those of past years.