By Shelby Thomas
Raging, chanting, throwing objects, and stomping mindlessly to the beat of a drum. No, I did not just describe a primitive tribe on the African plains; I just described a typical pep rally. While assemblies are a fundamental part of the high school experience, it’s become plain to me that they’ve gone quite too far.
At the most recent Coronado assembly, the senior class resorted to shouting obscenities and throwing streamers and water bottles at the junior class. All during a good-natured contest put on by Student Council. These games aren’t meant to turn into a screaming fest of insanity; they are meant to inspire pride in our school. And as I watched the Welcome Back assembly, I couldn’t help but feel turned off to the notion of cougar pride. I felt especially bad for the poor parents sitting between the two groups.
Student Council makes itself open and available to the students of Coronado. It is a body of incredibly dedicated students who reach out to the student body through the events it organizes, assemblies included.
Kids get caught up in the rush, and I understand that it’s that adrenaline that makes assemblies fun for a lot of people, but Coronado should be able to keep it classy while also promoting school spirit.
United we stand; divided we fall, and Coronado took quite an unpleasant tumble at its most recent assembly. All of the hard work of StuCo seemed to go to waste as petty rivalries reached their boiling point.
While age old traditions of the class contests should continue, it’d be a welcome change to incorporate some activities that require the classes to work together. How about we see how loud all of Cougar Nation can be?
