Though football season is far from over, the time of stomping on gym bleachers and student stampedes has come to an end. As the sun peeks over the Math and Science building and the first drops of dew sparkle in the pit, school spirit will already be in full swing.

For the remainder of the home games, pep rallies will be held in the mornings before school rather than at the end of the day, starting with the Homecoming pep rally Oct. 4.

“I really just want to offer some options as far as pep rallies go,” head principal Carla Dupree said. “We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather continue new practices, honor and preserve older traditions, and offer variety for our student body while maximizing the amount of instructional learning time whenever possible.”

Student Council remains in charge of organizing the rallies, and adviser Susan Waldrep has high expectations for the results.

“[The pep rallies are] going to be 15 minutes, and we’re hoping that it’s like ESPN game day with Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit,” Waldrep said. “We’ve got t-shirts we’re going to throw out. We’ve got spirit items; there’s just going to be 15 minutes of fun.”

Deliberations on pep rallies occurred over the summer when Dupree and Waldrep collaborated to find a compromise between the missed class time past pep rallies have caused and the tradition embedded in the rallies.

“We had considered a change in schedule that did not go through, but that is when I first started looking at the possibility of having morning pep rallies,” Dupree said. “When I spoke with Mrs. Waldrep and found out that pep rallies used to be at the pit in the mornings, I really liked the idea of bringing that back to add variety. I love the traditions of Texas High, so to be able to bring a morning pep rally to the pit is exciting to me.”

Another key part of these changes is increased participation; all school clubs are invited to take part in the rallies with posters and shirts to show their pride for their organization.

“In my mind, it’s fabulous, so we’ll see if my mind and reality mesh,” Waldrep said. “Hopefully, clubs will get into it. We’re going to talk to club sponsors about having their clubs go as a group. They could wear their club T-shirts, and they could hold up signs. It’s more participation than just sitting in the gym.”

Morning pep rallies also mean missing less class time, as the school schedule will no longer be altered to accommodate for the afternoon rallies.

“I hope that it helps,” Dupree said. “The more time they can be in class the better.  Our students who are involved in athletics and other events have to miss, especially with us driving so far for many of our games.”

Even through the changes made, the goal remains the same: highlight the teams and organizations that make Texas High special and unify the student body through school spirit. 

“School spirit makes all the difference in the world,” Dupree said. “There are places that don’t have what we have as far as school spirit.  I have seen that tear down kids, parents, faculty and staff. Texas High has an amazing spirit. It is our responsibility to not only maintain our Tiger pride but also to grow it for the Tigers that have yet to walk the halls of Texas High.  The only way to do that is to get involved and celebrate the endeavors and accomplishments of each other, our Tiger family.”