Pep Rallies and Ants

        So, we had our first pep rally on Friday at Leone High School.  Having never been to a pep rally before, I was excited, but I was also excited because of all that I had heard about Leone’s pep rallies.  (Which, apparently are called “prep” rallies by at least half the student body and the administration.  Since they are in “preparation” for football games, I guess it does make sense to call them “prep” rallies.  It’s not like Leone students ever need any kind of “pepping” up to begin with!)

One of my bio students (left) holding their sophomore class banner
that these girls' families helped them make in one night!
This banner won.... I was happy :)  MUFASAAAA

            Everyone should experience an LHS pep rally.  Since we are the Leone Lions (not really sure why that is the mascot of our high school on this small island where other mascots are warriors, or sharks….things that make sense), much of the pep rally was Lion King themed.  So I automatically more than enjoyed it.  The first pep rally (and maybe more of them, I’m not sure) consists of all the grades competing against one another in cheers, banners, and some sort of theatrical piece.  They only had about 2 weeks to put this one together (there have been daily class meetings during the school day in which classes get together and work on their cheers, and they usually work during lunch as well).  Trying to explain the pep rally wouldn’t do it justice.  But high school students back in the states could never do what these students can accomplish in less than 2 weeks.  All the athletes are also called up, and the football players do this Samoan chant/ tribal warrior demonstration too, which was so cool.

tribal/warrior thing done by the football teams...very intimidating!!
You should see the video!

Junior class banners...yes, those are my shirtless students.

Additionally, my computer has now become a source of food for ants.  I guess after surviving 4 years of college and almost 2 months in American Samoa, computers probably aren’t the cleanest of objects, and when I get on my computer now I not only get wrapped up in trying to get internet access but I am also entertained by watching ants try to find their way through the maze that is the keyboard.  I have a theory, that computers here don’t die simply because of the humidity; they die because too many ants get smushed under the keys or fried while journeying into the inner workings of macbooks.  There are too many places for ants to hide (and find crumbs) within the broken edges or openings of this computer to think that they are not making their own colony in my hard drive.  On that note, gonna make sure the kitchen is clean and there are no crumbs anywhere in my room.  Otherwise there will be a party somewhere in the house tonight, and I didn’t invite anyone! 

Football teams up front at the pep rally..check out these backpacks!!!