Gallery • 22 Photos

Yarah Almoshaikah

   Ears ringing, hearts beating, crowds cheering. This year’s 2023 spring pep rally has amazed students and left them speechless. Another year, another pep rally, yet somehow this one is different and better than ever. From beginning to end, from the national anthem to Drumline, eyes were glued to the talent before them. With sports introductions, games, music, several performances, and even surprise promposals, what was only an hour will stick with PPCHS students for a lifetime.

   Various sports (baseball, boys volleyball, girls flag football, girls and boys track and field, basketball, soccer, tennis, softball, and water polo) all had unforgettable entrances. Getting creative, these teams had very signature introductions, some specific to their sport. With senior varsity basketball player Ralph Laurent leading the team and slam dunking their way into pep rally, this was one of the many memorable ways our sports kicked off this pep rally.

   Attention was caught left and right throughout the vast crowd. It was hard to believe the extent to which these students were invested. Taking place was a tight game of Tug of War between multiple different athletes, setting high tensions and competition. Pulling back and forth, the nail biting was over when one team fell to the floor and the other standing tall with their hands high. 

   To add to all the excitement surrounding the gym, there was an element of surprise. A feeling of shock and joy took over the audience when two special promposals took place during this pep rally leaving the crowd in awe. 

   Already overwhelmed and filled with enthusiasm, PPCHS students cheered on their friends and fellow classmates as they watched them perform their hearts out. Giving it their all, cheer, step team, latin dance team, fashion club, bollywood team, and dance team had jaws dropping left and right and a crowd so loud it was difficult to hear their own music.

   Performers waited, nervous and anxious, for their turn under the spotlight. For some this would be the last time. “Moments before performing at my last pep rally, I kind of stood off to the side watching my team get all the jitters and nerves out and I just remember thinking that this was the last time I would ever get this rush, this feeling, ever again,” says senior Dance Team Manager Madison Nicolas with a sense of realization and sadness. “My most memorable moment of performing at this pep rally had to have been the big team hug after we performed. In that moment it was such a loving and heartfelt moment, and after my four years of being on the team it made it all come together in a great ending.” As Madison has shown, these highschool years should not be taken for granted. 

   PPCHS’s SGA plays an enormous role when it comes to creating wholesome memories for students. This year’s spring pep rally has done just that, and has drawn in a new crowd that surpassed many expectations. “When you are able to find that energy within the student body, unify it, bring all the greats together in one place, it does create something special and it creates an area of ‘I want to be here’,” expresses SGA sponsor, Mr. Jablonka, full of pride and joy. “You only got four years as a student here and there’s only a certain amount of events that you can go to within your time here at Charter.”

   Students in the bleachers go wild for one last time. This wouldn’t be possible without the talent, patience, and hard work that our PPCHS students, teachers and staff put in to make these high school years unforgettable. As the drumline plays and the audience exits, they have walked away with something not only to look back on but to look forward to for many years to come. “Let all the laughs and memories sink in. It all really does end just like that,” says Madison Nicolas.