High School pep rallies are held each sports season at most high schools. It is a great way for students to chant, cheer, and celebrate their school sports programs. Regina is no different. As a school community, they love a good pep rally.

Since the seniors were freshmen, they remember that for each of the three pep assemblies, each level got together and decided, independently as a class, on a theme to wear for that particular pep rally. Students came dressed to cheer on the Panther teams dressed in Hawaiian shirts, Harry Potter apparel, and so on.

For the Fall Pep Assembly, all grades were assigned a different color to wear. Each grade meshed their color with a particular theme. The juniors dressed as preppy, frat boys, which was considered by many as tasteless. As a result, when the Winter Pep Rally was to be held on February 11, students were asked to wear Regina Dominican spirit wear instead of wearing a designated theme.

In an approved message by Tim Brodeur, Dean of Students and Director of Student Life, the rules of what students could wear was put on the Student Council Facebook page. The message read as follows: Please come to school dressed to impress in Regina Spirit Wear! (This includes all items found in the Gina shop, Athletics and T-shirts that you have been given or bought from Regina Dominican.) You may wear a homemade shirt as long as it communicates Regina Spirit and no other theme! Specific questions see Mr. Brodeur. Those with inappropriate tops, will be asked to wear their uniforms. The dress code has been designed based off of past pep rallies and for you to show your Regina Dominican Spirit!

Brodeur said,”I have never been against not having themes. Mrs. McMillin and I had several meetings after the fall pep assembly describing how students can wear stuff that represents Regina in an appropriate way because what students wore was inappropriate.”

Students were disappointed that themes would not be allowed. Junior Nora Byrne understood the Administration’s frustration after the last pep assembly. “We know now that we were wrong, so the junior class is ready to work to get the themes back,” she said.

For this reason, RDAA (Regina Dominican Athletic Association), who are responsible for planning the pep rallies, attempted to get themes back. They held a meeting with Brodeur and introduced a theme based upon literature, in which all grades would dress according to the novels they were given.

RDDA officer Audrey Jahns ’15 said, “We did do this so the Seniors could wear their Harry Potter shirts, but also because RDAA believed it would be a happy medium for the students and faculty. We still would get themes, but it would also incorporate education in some aspect because of the novels.”

This idea was turned down by the Student Life Committee, chaired by Brodeur and advisers of each Class Leadership Board, Student Council, National Honor Society, and Athletics. Brodeur commented, “You cannot have a pep assembly that sets seniors up to look great without the other three grades looking good.”

The decision was communicated to what the students could wear: Regina Dominican spirit wear.

Nora Byrne ’16 was sincerely disappointed with the fact that the Administration decided against letting the students have themes. She said, “Spirit is so important for and at Regina and the disbandment of themes was the last straw for me. I feel that all the grades truly come together at pep assemblies. So when the Administration took them away they were not encouraging spirit, but taking it away from us.”

Students were dissatisfied with the “no themes” decision and decided to take matters into their own hands. Byrne and other members of the junior class started a petition entitled “Save the Themes!” two days before the pep assembly would be held. 202 students, throughout the four grades, signed the petition.

Emily Senderak ’16 was one of the juniors who helped organize the petition. She said, “Our whole class wanted to get the themes back, but wanted to do it in a respectful way, so we thought a petition with signatures of people in the school would be most effective because it showed that it was not just one class that wanted it; It was also other grades, too.”

Brodeur was not impressed by the students bringing in the petition at such a short notice. “I am all for petitions,” he said. “I just needed more time to meet with students. There was nothing I could do so close to the pep assembly.”

As a symbol of solidarity and silent protest against the “no themes,” decision, the majority of the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors agreed not to wear spirit wear, but rather their uniforms. They also agreed they would not cheer during the spirit check.

Due to time constraints, RDAA conducted only one spirit check asking students to cheer as loudly as they possibly could. The applause response among the underclassmen was minimal.

Kelsey Macbain ’17 said she cheered because “I’m a Panther and I’m proud of it. All the athletes that participated in a winter sport deserved to be cheered for because that pep assembly was for them and being an athlete myself I know how much work they all put in. For people not to show their spirit is disrespectful for their hard work and sacrifice that they all put into their season.”

“The winter pep assembly just made me sad,” Brodeur said. “I understand that the students were upset they didn’t get their themes, but that doesn’t mean they should not cheer for their teammates. The excitement at the fall pep assembly was amazing, but this one was just sad,” added Brodeur.

Broduer emphasized, “I did not take away themes.” adding, “I took away the ones RDAA brought to me.”

Catie Murphy, RDAA member (and co-author of this article) said, “I don’t remember Mr. Brodeur ever telling RDAA to come up with other theme ideas.”

As for the spring pep assembly scheduled for April 17, a final decision regarding themes as well as the direction of the pep rally have not yet been determined. Brodeur will be working with Communications Director, Katie Pins to put together an interactive and fun pep rally.

Senderak said, “We want to make Regina pep assemblies better and we are willing to give ideas to help, but (the Administration) needs to work with us.”

“Truthfully, I don’t think anything the student body does remotely impacts the Administration’s thoughts. They will do what they want. But I hope they see that we want our themes. I also hope they see the 202 students who signed the petition as leaders and passionate for causes they believe in,” said Byrne.

Brodeur is still unsure why specific “themes”, having nothing to do with Regina Dominican, are needed. “I am all for spirit! I want students to come dressed in all black and have their faces painted half black and half white. I want them to wear sparkly blue wigs. I want those themes because they display Regina spirit, not some random theme having nothing to do with the school.”