by Cameron Moore (6th)
Sixth graders (like me) have just completed their first four months of middle school. It wasn’t just four months of readjusting and getting used to their new surroundings, but it was also four months of growing their competitiveness in the school-wide pep rallies and competitions. The sixth grade versions have been especially competitive and even controversial. This is about not just the pep rallies; t is also about each of the three teams’ (red, blue, and green) perspectives about these pep rallies. But how do these teams view the competitive, monthly event?
First of all, my team: red. Red has definitely been the team that has accused others of cheating (which, you’ll learn, will become a common theme) the most.
Red is still unhappy about the events of the poor October pep rally they had. Green was accused of cheating in the limbo competition especially, with many diehard reds claiming they touched the ground and were “robbed” of winning that round.
They also nearly, according to red, “got away” during Plunger Races in the November pep rally, when red team math teacher Mrs. Keyack sent them back on the final lap for using the plunger cup with no stick, which allowed red to win the race and eventually the entire rally. I spoke with Mrs. Keyack about the rallies. When I asked her about the incident, she said that “the plunger fell off” and that “the student used his hands, which was an unfair advantage, allowing the student to move faster.”
When I asked about Green's criticism, she commented “I haven’t really heard any criticism,” and when asking her about the outlook for 2024, she responded by saying, “I am hopeful that the next pep rally or competition will be fun and exciting. If all students follow procedures, it should not be chaotic.” In December, however, many of red team’s students claimed the Brain Games buzzers were rigged, as they only got 400 points, compared to green’s 1,100 points and blue’s 1,200 points.
Green has a lot more to say about the now infamous “plunger incident”, claiming they were using a legal strategy during the relay, which is still a common debate topic. Green has also accused red of cheating during that same rally, when they accused Mrs. Keyack (name sounds similar?) for keeping a red balloon up during the balloon competition.
They have also defended all cheating accusations against them, which have come from both of the other two teams. Another huge talking point in the grade is science teacher and green team leader Mr. Ryan, who I was fortunate enough to interview about the developing situation and his involvement in these events. He’s very experienced, having run pep rallies for 10 years. When I asked him about the fairness of these events, he said “Well, one of my goals is to keep them as competitive and close as possible."
But, making on the fly judgment calls makes it difficult sometimes. Like, a foul in basketball is always a foul. But, when you’re putting a helmet and football pants on, and pushing on a scooter, you know, what’s the line of all the rules of that event to make sure it’s fair and even to everybody.”
He also shared with me that he just wants to be a fan in these events, also saying that the vibe has changed since trophies and more competitive team competitions were implemented.
But, what are blue team’s thoughts on the situation? Most of blue team’s students I’ve talked to often accuse green, but are much more neutral than the other two teams. Following their Brain Games victory in December, blue’s confidence was restored and they feel good about their chances in the future.
How does it look from a neutral perspective, however? Well, it would probably look very even; all three teams have each won a pep rally/competition and all three have had some sort of controversy, with red’s allegations dating back to the balloon competition in November, green being accused in the limbo and plunger incidents, and blue’s accusations being related to Brain Games.
But, who is the best team? This question is still undecided within the first four months of the year, but green seems to be edging everyone out with results. Green is (1st finishes-2nd finishes-3rd finishes) 1-2-0, while blue is 1-1-1 and red is 1-0-2. Obviously, this is tarnished by cheating accusations, but it is the most conclusive result for “best team so far” that we have at the moment.
The rest of the school year will definitely be chaos, and it will be interesting to see who will come out on top. What are your thoughts and predictions for the rest of the school year?