It is a popular tradition at WS to boo freshmen at pep rallies. However, this year, Student Government Association (SGA) has decided to switch things up, spreading news around the school that the other classes should not boo the freshman.
Leadership teacher Ms. Jonsson held a discussion with the pep rally leaders and her class, trying to discover the reason why there is a tradition of booing freshman. They agreed that most people jeered because they themselves had once been booed at. It has been happening for years, and could even be considered a rite of passage.
“We basically had a conversation around whether that was something that truly creates a unified school environment,” Jonsson said. “I think pretty unanimously through the group we agreed that is doesn’t, and in order to create more school unity we decided that we were going to do some things to try to dial back the booing towards the freshmen.”
A couple of things that Leadership did to try to reduce booing towards the freshmen was having the emcees quiet people down during the pep rally when the school was booing and encouraging the freshmen to be loud during their class yell.
Leadership student senior Erika Parker understood both sides of this debate. “I understand the whole concept of ‘we were booed as freshmen, so it’s only fair that we keep that tradition going.’ It’s a freshmen thing, right? However, I think when we boo the freshmen it can discourage them from getting involved later on in school events like hallway decorating, for example,” Parker said.
Junior Alanna Garagliano agreed. “I do think there is disrespect when it comes to booing freshman. Even though everyone has done it in the past, it is still disrespectful to the people coming in. They should be welcomed and not booed,” said Garagliano.

However, some freshmen seem to think that getting booed is not a big deal.
“To be honest, the booing doesn’t really bother me because I was already prepared for it,” said freshman Joseph Harris. “The booing doesn’t make me want to participate less in spirit weeks and organizations. I kind of just laugh at it knowing one day that my class is probably going to be doing that to freshmen in a couple of years.”
Harris was not the only freshman to feel this way.
“I didn’t even really care because it’s something that happens every year, so it feels like it has to happen,” freshman Meghan Johnson said. “It doesn’t really bother me.”
Freshman Emily Cramer agreed: “If all the freshmen shout really loudly, because the freshman have more people than any other class then you won’t hear it.”