Every winter, Santiago High gathers in the gym for a seasonal rally meant to unite students and celebrate school spirit. However, the winter rally arrived at a tense moment in the semester—just days before finals, when office hours feel more valuable than ever. While many students appreciate the energy and creativity behind the event, others question whether the timing adds unnecessary academic pressure.
Let’s hear students take on the matter, all direct quotes. But first, a quotation from someone who offered insight and provided an in-depth account of the process.
(Rallies) Gabriel Kasbar (12)
“Ok, so we have (his partner in the rallies, Kayla Ensign) to work around the fact that there are 3 rallies every year (1 for each sport season) and make sure it doesn’t interfere with any AP (Advanced Placement classes) or state testing, so the dates we pick are usually the same week every year because its the most convient for all that.”
Prior set up for rally
“Before the school year, ASB has a camp, and all the other members give my partner (Kayla) ideas. Then we tally which ones were suggested the most, but for this one in specific, my partner and I didn’t really care about the numbers. We both really love Stranger Things, and we knew it HAD to happen; we had a vision and knew the ideas to make it come to life. It was also super convenient that the new season came out during the time of the rally, so it felt even more meant to be.”
“General ideas for the rally have been planned since June, but all the little details like decorations, scripts, and all that are planned have a duration of 2-3 months before each rally. I have a huge checklist of things my partner has to do each rally, and some are easy, but others take a while and a lot of time management.
From the quote Gabriel provided, I hope other students and staff will consider the time ASB invests in every rally and what they offer our school. For some, this rally may be a moment to wind down and have some sense of pride in their school. I know I did.
Here are students’ quotes:
Mariah Moreno (12)
“The amount of hard work ASB and other students put into making this rally possible isn’t acknowledged enough. I truly believe they’re so perseverant in what they do, but I think it would’ve been a better idea to move it to last month, maybe even right before Thanksgiving break. Just because the semester is ending and we are trying to study for finals, raise grades, etc. It doesn’t incredibly stress me out, but the idea that there is one less office hour to revise things does put some pressure on me academically.”
Alex Gluba (12)
“I like the rallies, but I wish they weren’t so loud because they usually overstimulate people a lot. Also, I don’t think it should be so close to finals because a lot of students really need office hours at that time.”
This was another issue addressed due to the noise and the overstimulation of it all for students, say, for example, students with anxiety or neurodivergent conditions, including me, who often feel overstimulated at these types of events.
Let’s hear more!
Eliot Diaz (11)
“Although I’m looking forward to the energy of the rally and everyone that participates, which I don’t typically get from office hours, I do think that with our rally being so close to finals and the finalization of grades. Students should be able to have every opportunity to either study and prepare for final tests and projects or raise their current grades before they are finalized.”
Sienna Bumcrot (11)
“I think a school rally should not be scheduled so close to finals week because it disrupts office hours and takes away study time from students who need it. Even though school spirit is a great thing, I believe that academics matter more.”
Leela Spencer (11)
“I think the rally was pretty good overall. I like how it gave us all a small break of fun before we get started prepping and taking our finals. However, I do think that the timing could have been better. Due to our small amount of time we have before finals, I think it would have been better to have the rally before Thanksgiving break, so that we can focus on our finals and the weeks leading up to them.”
You heard the consensus: many agree that the rally should be scheduled more practically, given concerns about finals during this holiday season. Yet we still have to appreciate what ASB does to satisfy our school.
Thank you, ASB!
Go Sharks.
