With life back to semi-normal, a missing piece from our school had been gone for quite a while. Sitting at home and empty stadiums left quite a void at our school and it just didn’t feel the same. However, school spirit is now back in full force with the help of two very special people. Back at games the student section is led by our 2 ASB Spirit Leaders, Owen Rees and Jaidyn Morris. These two spirit leaders are the driving force behind our school spirit, pep rallies, and getting the students pumped up at games. With their hard work and dedication to us and our school, our school spirit gets a little bit better everyday. 

If you have had the chance to come to a football game this year at the new Peabody Stadium, you have most definitely seen Owen Rees, one of the ASB Spirit Leaders and Mr.Pep-n-Rally, leading the student section. Screaming out chants such as “Ole Ole” and “Here we go Dons”  and just getting the student section hyped up for the game in general, Owen is the forefront of our student section. I first asked Owen what his experience as Mr.Pep-n-Rally has been like so far this year. He replied “It’s been so much fun, but challenging too! I really feel like I’m raising school spirit and making the games more fun for the students and for the players.” I then asked Owen what his favorite part about being Mr.Pep-n-Rally has been so far, and he replied that his favorite thing is “being able to make real changes around my school and being able to hear both constructive and positive criticism from students.” 

Being Mr.Pep-n-Rally involves more than just starting fun chants and getting the student section hyped for the game. It also involves organizing what you are going to do for that game, keeping students engaged and entertained the entire game, and coordinating the pep rallies leading up to the game as well. Owen stated that the hardest part about doing his job is “to keep everyone motivated to participate in the chants and making sure everyone in the crowd is happy with what I do.” Doing this job requires both high energy and a lot of confidence. 

Jaidyn Morris, the other lead ASB Spirit Leader, has also been key to leading our successful school spirit so far this year. When asking her what sparked her interest in being an ASB spirit leader, she replied “as a fourth generation Don and Santa Barbara High cheerleader, I have a lot of school spirit. I loved watching pep rallies, but being involved in them is a whole different experience that I really enjoy.” When asked what her favorite part about being an ASB spirit leader is,  she replied, “ getting myself and others involved in school activities whether it be in school or after school.” She also stated that “I just love seeing students dressed up in spirit week gear and showing off their Dons’ pride.” 

As stated before, a lot more goes into a pep rally and organizing school events than just what the students and teachers see as the final product. I asked Jaidyn what the hardest part about being an ASB Spirit Leader was for her. “Preparing a pep rally is a lot of fun, but it also takes a lot of hard work. Getting the right teachers, students, and clubs involved is an important task in making sure a pep rally is fun for everybody in the school to enjoy.” Our school spirit is a vital part of our school, and the energy and fun that goes behind it. That school spirit that we all enjoy here at Santa Barbara High School is thanks to Owen and Jaidyn!

[Image Credit Carlo Maguire]