Pep Rally Becomes Student-Focused

There was no celebrity headliner, but last night’s trimmed down Harvard-Yale pep rally drew students to the Yard with its eclectic group of student performances.

In the midst of a recession and in the aftermath of last year’s failed Girl Talk concert, the College Events Board (CEB) decided to bring the focus back to students, said the group’s vice-chair, James A. McFadden ‘10.

“We’re getting back to the basics of what a pep rally should be,” McFadden said, explaining that the goal was to jump-start attendance by drawing friends and roommates of the student performers.

Rebecca J. Vitale ’10 agreed. “It was cool to have an artist last year, but it was a concert, not a pep rally,” she said.

And it was a concert cut short. After crowds squeezed up against the stage, Girl Talk’s performance was abruptly halted, and the entire event was largely viewed as a failure.

This year, the evening began with a lighthearted “chubby bulldog” contest, a spoof of the chubby bunny game, and continued with a “victory dance-off.”

Dance-off champion Scott J. Yim ’13 was enthused with his win. “It was quite possibly the most exhilarating moment of my life,” he said. “I have so much self-esteem now.”

The Harvard Band took the stage soon after, and the crowd sang along to catchy tunes like the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

The Glee Club, according to tradition, sang “10,000 Men of Harvard”; in an irreverent turn, this was followed by an electronic remix composed by Noam Hassenfeld ’12.

Highlights also included performances by the Black Men’s Forum—or, as emcee Tyler G. Hall ’11 accidentally termed them, the “Bosnian Men’s Forum”—and the cheerleading squad.

However, not everyone was thrilled with the production.

A low-set stage shielded much of the action on stage from view, to the dismay of many students.

Others in the crowd criticized the low-cost feel of the production.

“I feel like it’s the product of budget cuts. There’s no one here,” said Danielle F. Dejoy ’13.

Mee estimated that there were “slightly fewer” attendees this year compared to last year. But he said that considering the low budget and no celebrity performer, the event was a success.

“We did the best we could have with the funds we had, and we were really happy with the results,” Mee said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”