School bogging you down lately? Are finals looming over you? The Holiday Rally is here to help CdM find their holiday spirit and bring some holiday cheer on campus. Based on the film Elf, ASB’s very own Bixby the elf works to get Meghan De Marinis Will Chavez–a pair of campus hooligans– off the naughty list. Featuring performances from over 180 students and staff, the rally welcomes a few new groups to the stage. Including CdM’s Color Guard–who made their debut on the field this season– and the Girls Dance which was made up of 24 of CdM’s athletes–the largest group of athletes to be featured in a rally.
12 Days of the Holiday Rally:
Besides Battle of the Bay, CdM’s Holiday Rally is one of its largest events of the year. Featuring more than one-hundred performers and with even more working behind the scenes. In reality, the process begins long before school starts, and the preparations commence during the spooky season.
ASB’s activities committee starts with selecting a theme and creating the story, the student-led tech team comes in and creates a vision for the film clips, and Performing Arts Department Chair Morgan Beckman and her team of talented dancers help coordinate and choreograph the production. Even middle school ASB is hard at work, dressing up as Santa’s little helpers. Diego Tomlinson, a member of ASB’s Tech committee, has completed his first rally. Tomlinson explains that the seniors and juniors took the creative lead and helped him navigate the ropes of filming. “Our process usually starts with brainstorming, figuring out what videos we want to make, where, when, and how we’re going to achieve it” says and Tomlinson. Once the story map is drawn “we go to film” though he reveals that while the story is all mapped out, filming is “where you usually get the vision (at least for me) and you can see everything start to come to life.” Tomlinson was tasked with adding in the titles, to his excitement he shares that “working on videos is really fulfilling because you know you’re contributing to something bigger than yourself, something that will bring joy to a ton of people.”
As for the performers, each group began rehearsing in November; with a total of 9 dance practices and several run throughs. Cheer and Orchesis helped coach student performers, creating choreography, and helping quelch any stage fright. For many who are not dancers, the experience was filled with much laughter and a few chagrins when people forgot their choreo.
Twas the Night Before the Holiday Rally
The night before the Holiday Rally ASB and Class Council are tasked with transforming the gym into a winter wonderland. With the help of dozens of life-size posters, several boxes of tape, Christmas lights, and not one or two but three Christmas trees later, the gym becomes as magical as the north pole. Students blast music and in between taping up posters, dance along–including a few shenanigans like taking a ride on the sleigh and karaoke. Mackenzie Kish was tasked with taking photos of the finished product, and as ASB turned the twinkling lights off and exited the gym, twas the night before the rally.
A Very Merry Rally
For those putting on the rally, the morning of is reminiscent of Christmas morning. It begins with a groggy yawn before they spring into action. Hair and makeup, costumes, and practice is in full swing in the gyms as everyone arrives at 7:45 to begin their final run-through. Activities put on their headsets, tech cues the lights, stage managers guide the performers, to showtime as several parents fill the seats of the gym.
Chloe Rollins, a freshman on Activities, celebrates her first holiday rally. Having a hand in creating the script and the storyline, she now gets to see it all come into fruition. Rollins explains that everyone on her committee is tasked with a job and position to make sure the show runs smoothly. “London and Jasmine are behind the curtain queuing the performers in. Grace, Natalie, and I are at the activities desk along with the tech guys. At the desk Natalie has a headset so she can stay in communication with tech and Jasmine.” Despite coordination and planning Rollins shares that “once the rally starts everything isn’t in our control anymore.” It’s now up to the performers to dazzle the crowd. Much of the stress comes with “learning to not panic if something goes wrong and try to think of a solution quickly.” To her excitement the show proceeded without any hiccups!
The rally debuts for a middle school audience before performing for the high school students. Crowd favorites included CdM’s drumline as well as their dance that followed, Color Guard as toys, and Song as they strutted across stage with their shoppers bags.The Holiday Rally not only brings cheer but welcomes students into a cherished CdM tradition. It takes a village to put together the rally and helps bring some laughter and joy to CdM during the chilly months. Bixby the elf reminded De Marinis and Chavez of the meaning of Christmas but everyone who was a part of the rally had a hand in spreading cheer.