Homecoming is an important event at Westwood because it gives all of our students a chance to get out there and enjoy themselves.  With the recent pep rally highlighting the Redhawks’ Homecoming game, which was full of diverse and unique individuals, seeing all the smiling faces and outstanding looks throughout the week was a beautiful representation of who we are as Redhawks. 

The second pep rally of this year showcased our yearly homecoming game on October 17th. In an effort to keep Westwood on theme, we hosted a memorable spirit week to get the Redhawks excited for the game and the HOCO event. 

Westwood High School is all about pride, which really stood out during spirit week. There was no theme on Monday, yet Tuesday is where the fun really began. Tuesday’s theme was Merch Madness, which meant to wear your favorite band, artist, or merchandise. Wednesday was a Signature Set and was a hit because you wore your white shirt and got everyone to sign it like a celebrity. Thursday was VIP Fits, which stood out because of all the fancy outfits and elegant apparel people had on. Friday was All Access Blackout, and everyone rocked their all-black outfits. 

The pep rally gives opportunities to let students get out of their comfort zone, be loud, see the dancers, or want to join clubs like band or student council. Pep rallies are a great time to join together as a community and family. 

The second pep rally had many mixed emotions; however, everything overall fell into place. There were games such as head, shoulders, knees, and cup. In that game, it’s just like head, shoulders, knees, and toes; however, instead of toes, it’s a cup, so once the speaker calls cup, you have to grab the cup in front of you before the other person does. There were performances from the cheerleaders who did stunts such as flying. The marching band, which performed a piece called “ESPN”, and the First Class Danceline, who were dancing as all the students walked in. 

The second pep rally of the year had a few hiccups with the sound system and some scheduling issues, but the Redhawks remained engaged and supportive. “I didn’t like how you already knew what was going to happen, also they kept making continuous stops in the middle of everything,” said 10th grader Violetta Martinez. While this year’s pep rally didn’t go as planned, it still brought our school together in a spirit of fun and unity. 

Westwood High School’s pep rallies really give an opportunity for all students to be involved and included. An example of that is the games and activities we have. Every time a game is about to start, the announcer asks for two people from each grade to join in the fun.  Junior house officer Braelyn Toomer says the most popular game from this rally was the scramble game,

During this pep rally, principal Tameka Nicholson made several announcements, including those regarding homecoming and recognizing students of the month. A new student to Westwood, Anna Runge, was named one of the sophomore students of the month for her outstanding work over the past few months. “I was so surprised about it, I didn’t even know what that was before that day because we didn’t do it at my old school,” said Anna. That demonstrates how Westwood provides new opportunities and advantages to everyone. 

Mixed emotions were in the crowd during this pep rally. Some people thought the music and performances were expected, while others found them entertaining. Sophomore Autumn Seay says her favorite part of the pep rally was “When they did the head, shoulder, knees, and cup game because the girl in the dance department did well.” 

As a result of great school spirit and the support from Westwood’s stands, we won the homecoming game against Lugoff-Elgin. This goes to show how a little bit of pride, good attitude, and upbeat positivity can go a long way with the Redhawks.