The first pep rally of the year on Aug. 29 started off with a surprise. The lights suddenly turned off, sending each class into a small state of frenzied. Out of the dark, some senior class leaders charged across the gym to the freshman student section, yelling and trying to pump up the Class of 2029. It also set the tone for the pep rally and, perhaps, the year.
“When the lights turned off and the seniors ran at us, I was shocked, but it was exciting,” said freshman Jack Jones. “It made me feel that the year was gonna be a lot more fun than I expected.”
Once the commotion settled down, the Chamber Choir sang the national anthem, and new principal Rev. Stephen Kramer, S.J. led the whole gym in prayer.
Student Government Association (SGA) president Brendan Ortbals then laid out the reason for this first pep rally of the school year: the first football game of the season. Later that night, the Hawklets would take on the St. Pius X Warriors.
“The pep rally is more than just football,” Ortbals said. “It’s about building a community, getting hyped up for this year, and showing the spirit we have as Hawklets.”
The first big event of the day was the introduction of the new “Milk Man,” senior Luke Franke. He ran out on the court to raucous cheers, throwing bottles of milk out to the students. He also threw one to Rev. Carlos Esparza, S.J., who began to chug it, filling the gym with cheers and laughter.
The energy remained high as the first game, musical chairs, began. The competition was intense, however, senior Will Gunther came out with the win, giving his class the first bragging rights.
“We weren’t about to let anyone else win the musical chairs,” said senior Michael LaSala. “We came to make a statement.”
Next came a video skit. Senior football player Max Moylan was “captured” by people from Pius in a comedy skit, mixing school spirit with some humor.
The gym was still abuzz as the next competition, an eating challenge, began. A student from each class had to lay down on a scooter while a classmate pushed them back and forth to a plate of powdered sugar donuts. The competing student had to try to eat the donuts without using his hands. It was very messy, but the seniors again came out on top, with Cam Luzar bringing it home for the Class of 2026.
The last game of the pep rally was a sports gauntlet. One student from each class mimicked competing in each fall sport in which Rockhurst competes: football, soccer, swimming and cross country.
They first tried to catch footballs thrown at them from different angles as they ran down the basketball court. Then, they had to collect a soccer ball and score a goal between two cones. Next, they donned a swimming cap and “swam” from one end of the basketball court to the other laying atop a scooter. Finally, they had to run a lap around the court back to their respective student section. Joe Jones brought home the win for seniors, though there were questions of whether or not he fully completed the entire course.
The pep rally wrapped up the way each one does: with the V-I-C-T-O-R-Y chant. As often happens, the freshmen were the weakest of the bunch, but everything culminated with the entire student body finishing it off with a spirited “V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, that’s the Rockhurst battle cry!”
