Have you ever wondered what happens when there is a rally? What is it like for Leadership students and for the Leadership teachers when a rally date has been set?
Rallies are always on Fridays. They are normally held before a school dance, on a Friday before a big event or a new season, or if something important needs to be brought up.
First, Leadership students have to make a PowerPoint that will be presented at the rally, and they build everything off of that. There will also be information they want to share with everybody at GEMS. On each slide, they include different games. They come up with the games by searching online for possible activities they could play during the rally.
After choosing the games, they go to Mrs. Mullen and Mr. Ogaz to see if they think the games are good choices. If the teachers agree, the students then go to Mrs. Fernandez and ask if those games can be done at the rally. If Mrs. Fernandez does not approve, they have to pick another game. Once all the games are approved, they practice them as much as possible so that when it is time to play, everything runs smoothly.
Mrs. Mullen and Mr. Ogaz direct what the students do, but it is mainly up to the students to gather all the supplies and tell the teachers what they need. Leadership students also set up the presentations that will be shown at the rally, and the students mostly run everything while the teachers supervise.
Leadership students organize everything, and the Leadership teachers help them with the parts they will be reading so they know exactly what to say during the rally. They make sure all the games are appropriate, and usually at the beginning of the year the 8th graders are the leaders. They help the younger students learn all the different tasks and jobs. As the year goes on, everyone becomes a part of it, and they eventually learn how to run the rallies on their own.
Students have groups called S.O.D.A.S., which stand for Spirit, Outreach, Design, Activities, and Sports. Each group is in charge of a game, although not all groups will have one. Some groups set up the games, and they are also in charge of choosing the participants for that specific activity.
Leadership students face many challenges. They have to learn how to be the master of ceremonies, get used to speaking in front of large crowds or their peers, and manage their nerves. Students practice a lot so they can feel more comfortable. Making sure all materials are ready can be difficult, and the games must be practiced many times before they are played at the rally.
Many Leadership students face these challenges, but they work hard to complete the rallies on time so the experience is fun and exciting for the whole school.
