‘Spotlight moment:’ THS finds success with annual Community Pep Rally

Published 11:04 am Wednesday, October 2, 2024

By Noah Wortham

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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Despite a change in plans due to weather, school spirit was high as students, faculty and parents rallied together to share their excitement and showcase what it means to be a Warrior during Thompson High School’s Community Pep Rally.

Alabaster City Schools hosted its annual Community Pep Rally in the Warrior Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. after a forecast of inclement weather persuaded ACS to proactively change its plans.

The annual Homecoming parade was canceled and the pep rally was moved an hour earlier and indoors. Despite the change in plans, the Warrior spirit prevailed and those in attendance seized the opportunity to have the best pep rally possible.

“The Homecoming Community Pep Rally was a great experience for everyone involved,” said Wesley Hester, assistant superintendent and THS principal. “All of our participating students and student groups had amazing performances, and our teams were met with the most positive receptions and recognitions. We had a remarkable turnout of parents, families, friends and fans. The Warrior Spirit was delivered and felt throughout the event, and it was a tremendous success.”

For THS Director of Bands Graham Bennett, the occasion of bad weather proved a valuable learning experience for his students on how to fight through adversity in the pursuit of something better.

“I thought, given the weather, that we had an amazing experience,” Bennett said. “Sometimes when the plans change, the worst thing you can do is try to fight that. The best thing to do is (say), ‘Well, how can we make this better than the first thing?’ And I think that’s exactly what we did. I think we found an opportunity in a way, to give all of these kids an experience that they deserved and they enjoyed.”

The ACS Community Pep Rally not only served as an opportunity for the school system to raise spirits in preparation for its Homecoming game but also the perfect chance to showcase many of Alabaster City Schools’ extracurricular teams.

Members of the middle school and high school cheer groups, dance groups and bands were able to secure a moment in the spotlight as the Alabaster community cheered them on and showed their support and appreciation.

“Everybody got a spotlight moment,” Bennett said. “They got to perform for their parents, for the community, there was a lot of positivity.”

For Bennett, one of the details that stood out from the rally was being able to watch parents react to the festivities and to seeing their child stand out amongst the crowd—especially for the parents of  students that are seniors.

“At the end, I talked to two particular families—two parents that were just so happy and thankful for the fact that we were able to host it and do it and they thoroughly enjoyed it,” Bennett said. “It went extraordinarily well and I personally had a great time as well.”

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