Students, activities and music provided by Geneseo's pep band filled Kuhl Gym last Friday as Geneseo hosted its first annual pep rally.
Junior Matt Rucinski, class of 2010 vice president, developed the idea to hold a pep rally, and joined with the four representatives of each class who make up class council to organize the event.
Rucinski emphasized that the major goal behind the event was to create a tradition at Geneseo.
"It seems that we are lacking school pride and our school has a lot to be proud of, so hopefully this is an event that we can carry on for years to come," he said.
"The only other tradition we have is homecoming," added freshman class president Ben Hares. "The pep rally serves as an additional activity in which the student body can get together and show their school spirit."
The two-hour-long event involved over two months of planning, but received a lot of support. Local businesses donated gift certificates for food and services, which were later used as prizes, along with Geneseo T-shirts and Lupe Fiasco tickets. CAS catered to the event and provided popcorn, apples, doughnuts and brownies.
Though the pep rally was designed to recognize Geneseo sports, friendly contests during the event tested athletes' abilities and speed in less traditional competitions. "Free throw" consisted of a basket shoot-out where two teams, each including players from various sports teams, raced against the clock to make the most baskets.
Then the competition got messy, as students dug their faces into whip cream pies searching for bubble gum. The first person to find the piece of gum and blow a bubble was the winner. A wing-off followed, in which contestants had to eat a certain number of wings, provided by the Statesman, in a given amount of time.
Performances from No Laugh Track Required, Hips 'n Harmony, Geneseo Dance Team, Geneseo Cheerleaders, Geneseo Throws up Juggling, and the G-Steppas entertained students throughout the evening.
The event was a celebration of the athletic department as a whole, but as Geneseo lacks a football team, the rally centered its focus on the well-attended hockey games. The Ice Knights' contest versus the Potsdam Bears followed directly after the pep rally.
"I was surprised to see so many students there," said junior Allison Sass. "It was nice to see the school coming together."
Although there were a few technological difficulties during the rally, the event had a great turnout with over 600 people in attendance.
"We look forward to making it even better next year," said Rucinski.