Cornwall High School students enjoyed shortened periods on Sept. 26 as the last 30 minutes of the day was dedicated to the fall pep rally. It was the last day of spirit week and the students were invited to wear their class colors. They filed into the gymnasium and each class claimed a section of the bleachers, creating a sea of black (seniors), white (juniors), green (sophomores), and gray (freshmen).
Assistant principal/athletic director Michael Kroemer invited the students to “make some noise.” The senior class began doing a Native American chant like they were sitting in the crowd of a Cleveland Indians or Atlanta Braves baseball game.
Kroemer then called out each of the 12 boys and girls varsity and junior varsity teams, as well as the freshman football team.
Principal Lynn Imperato spoke about school spirit and how students portray their school pride 24/7. She praised the athletes for their sportsmanlike behavior on the field/court. Imperato said the pep rally isn’t just about recognizing the sports teams, but acknowledging the hard work and dedication students put into their academic teams.
With the varsity football team set to square off against the Goshen Gladiators during its Friday night homecoming game, the Gladiator himself dropped by the pep rally for an unannounced visit. He was quickly defeated by the Cornwall Dragon.
The cheerleaders entertained the crowd with their patented dance moves and positive cheers such as “CCHS. We are the best.”
Kroemer then invited volunteers from each class to participate in a dance off. As various music clips played over the speakers, dancers were eliminated from the floor until about a dozen remained.
The final activity was a game of musical chairs. Two volunteers from each class were invited to play the popular childhood party game. In the end, a lone senior sat victorious. When he stood to accept the adulation of his classmates, he was mobbed by the varsity football players.
To determine how the students would be dismissed from the gymnasium, Kroemer asked each class to cheer as loud as they could. A “sound level meter” was used to determine which students were the loudest. The seniors won the competition.
