On Sept. 23, the Homecoming pep rally kicked off during extended QT in Wildcat 1. Being the second pep rally of the school year, this got students hyped up and ready for the game and Homecoming.

At the beginning of the year, West starts off with a back-to-school dance leading to Homecoming. It began at 9:30 a.m.As students came into the gym, cheerleaders were cheering, and as 9:32 a.m. hit the clock, the clap to the fight song began. 

“I loved the pep rally especially with it being the second one I’ve ever gone to,” sophomore Anna Reeves said. “My favorite part is either when the dance team danced or the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was very fun to watch because it kept my adrenaline going because I wanted my grade to win.” 

Reeves enjoyed the show and her favorite was the dance team which took place around 9:35 a.m. They always show up with big smiles on their faces and bring a little spark into the gym. They performed their common dance featuring Megan Thee Stallion and many other songs making a remix almost. The dance was more of a upbeat hip-hop dance with lots of movement. Some lead performers were seniors Emory Golliday, Maxton Bez, and Ava Circo.  

After their performance students tend to get loud and cheer them all on. The band came up in the next performance and put on a good show, as always, to lead up to the Homecoming candidates.

“Being a part of royalty was something that I never expected to happen in my four years at Millard West,” senior Alexis Callahan said. “It was such an honor to be selected to be a part of the Homecoming royalty for the 2021 school year.”

Ever since Callahan remembered Homecoming was around the corner she put a word out and tried her best to get as many votes as possible. Even though being put out there in big crowds wasn’t much of her thing, she wanted to make a word to the Millard West community about LGBTQ and get involved in the school. 

Two Student Council presidents, running the pep rally then announced the Homecoming candidates. As each student was announced they ran from under the crazies into the middle of the gym. There were junior and senior candidates with 10 each, half boys and half girls. This gave out many different options for people to choose from. The last and most thrilling part of the pep rally was the scavenger hunt. 

“The pep rally was very upbeat and I think it got everyone ready for the game that was later that night,” sophomore Macie Rock said. “I think my favorite part was watching and helping out the people that were in the scavenger hunt. Another cool part was hearing all the Homecoming nominees being announced and watching the video that was put together for them.”

A girl and a boy from each grade level competed as they put out chairs in the middle and the last person that didn’t have a chair was disqualified. They started off by asking for Toyota car keys, and with freshmen not being able to drive, one of their contestants went back into the bleachers being booed on. They ask for things such as random colored socks, certain colored shoes, IDs, and overall difficult items to receive. When the items were called out all you could see was items flying in the air within seconds. 

In the end, there were two contestants left, senior Nghi Ho and sophomore Ella Konwinski. The challenge was to whoever could get a trash can from the commons the quickest. Of course, the seniors took the win in the end and ended the pep rally with fun and excitement. As students left Wildcat 1, the band finished it off by playing fight sound.