As the new school year kicks off, school spirit is on the rise as popular events foster excitement in the student body. Whether students attended school virtually or on-campus last year, many seem eager to start the new school year with a bang. To reignite anticipation for the upcoming fall sports season, Leadership organized the first lunch pep rally on Friday, Aug. 13.

Lunch pep rallies have been an integral part of local culture for years, as their unique timing and location allows students to form bonds with peers that they may not have in their classes. Lunch pep rallies, commonly referred to as Lunch Jams, include activities such as cornhole, football, gymnastics, music and dancing. In order to coordinate an event like Lunch Jams, the Leadership students had to work with faculty to set it up and spread the word around campus.

“We had to contact the administrators and just got some games together,” Leadership student and junior Bella Gannam said.  “We put on the announcements that we were going to have a Lunch Jam and now we’re all here.”

Differing from an average day’s lunch, students have the ability to enjoy activities while they eat. Leadership’s goal was to create a fun environment for students, specifically freshmen, to enjoy themselves within a school setting.

“Especially for freshmen, they don’t really know how ‘spirited’, you could say, Lake Brantley is,” Gannam said. “They can see how much fun we have and it kind of brings us all together.”

As this was the freshman class’s first exposure to high school spirit, many took a liking to the occasion. 

“My friends and I are having a good time,” freshman Bretton Mackiewicz said. “I didn’t think there would be as many people involved and it’s a fun atmosphere.”

Senior Class Council Ambassador Bradley Roberston feels it is an uplifting opportunity to connect, as freshmen are introduced to the school’s spirit.

“I believe that our student body as a whole gains school spirit,” Robertson said. “Given the circumstances surrounding this pandemic, I believe that enhancing student engagement is a pivotal thing and the lunch pep rallies do just that.”

After the Lunch Jam pep rally, the morale on campus was elevated as many students were left excitedly anticipating future school spirit events.

“Every Friday,” freshman Rainier Zayas said. “We should have this every Friday. This is great.”

Gallery • 9 Photos

Photo provided by: Julia Moon

Seniors Isaac Abdelmessih and Kaylee Rios play on the blue team against senior Kade Sowers at Aug. 13's Lunch Jam. Despite being outnumbered, Sowers's one man show won definitively.