A new school year means new traditions and rules, and for pep rallies, this means a shift in timing.

Beginning with Thursday’s first pep rally of the 2022-23 school year, these events will now take place during advisory rather than 4th period, preventing time being taken away from instructional periods.

“I think either way, students are going to miss class,” teacher Tim Johannes said. “This way, they might not miss [fourth period] class, even if they are going to miss class at some point.”

On the planning side of things, STUCO President, senior Anna Lyon believes that the new timing will benefit the events that Student Council members work to organize.

“I think it’s better honestly,” Lyon said. “When it was during fourth period, it took up a lot of class time and students who were in it would have basically no fourth period class that day. Last year, having them during fourth also made it easier for people to skip the pep rally and just head home. I feel like having a lot more students attending the pep rallies is really going to bring more people together and also enjoy it.”

This shift means greater opportunity for student involvement as many upperclassmen opt to take early release during fourth period.

“I like the idea of having it during advisory just because more kids might be able to go,” Johannes said. “After school, kids are already gone for early release. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good thing.”

While this shift may come as something beneficial for the student body as a whole, for others who are involved in performances, this may mean missing both the end of second period as well as the beginning of third.

“I definitely think it will run over either way, affecting both students who have to leave early or stay after,” freshman cheerleading coach Courtney Benson said. “In the past, pep rallies have lasted a little longer than 30 minutes last year. I know they are doing a lot more planning this year, so hopefully it will be more efficient and move quickly. It’s kind of one of those wait and see situations.”