“And at last” RCHS students enjoyed their first indoor homecoming rally since 2019, and like other rallies, ASB devoted hours to ensure that the “Tangled” theme shined through. Floating lanterns and romantic kayaks filled the gym, setting the stage for a homecoming rally to gleam and glow.

As many returning RCHS students remember from last year, the “Greek” homecoming rally was pushed forward due to rainy weather. However, after not having an indoor homecoming rally for years, the weather wasn’t an issue inside of the gym for this year’s rally, which took place on Friday, Sept. 23.

This was not only made possible by the lifting COVID-19 restrictions, but also with the remodeling of the school’s gym that was finished on Sept. 6. Recently, the gym was repainted and the floor was reglossed.

Since the gym recently received renovations, there were restrictions and conditions in place to make sure the gym wasn’t damaged.

Senior and ASB Treasurer Jalen Ables said, “Due to the gym just recently being renovated, it caused a lot of changes for ASB,” Ables also said, “It required a little bit more preparation for us to be able to take in equipment in order to set up the rally how we do. Honestly it just set us back.”

For most freshmen, this wasn’t only their first high school rally but their first rally ever. Budget cuts were enacted due to COVID-19 for both RMMS and EIS, preventing them from having rally’s, so for many this was a new experience.

Freshman Luke Tucker said, “I expected them to be loud [the rally] but not that loud.”

Decorating, dancing and Disney flooded the gym the night before as students wrapped up their finishing touches on the rally, which lasted from 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

On top of coordinating the entire event, directors of campus events, seniors Makenzie Sigman and Miranda Jimenz worked to keep the demeanor up the whole night.

According to Sigman, “[we were] fighting through the exhaustion.”

“The hardest part about setting up for the rally is definitely keeping everyone’s motivation and energy up” said Jimenez. “Rally set up can definitely get hectic and overwhelming with the sheer amount of effort it takes to get everything to come together”

Aside from the rally set-up itself, Homecoming princesses Alexia Alvarado Saenz, Cassidy Brown, Nyla Taylor, Natalie Esquibel, Yulliana Marquez, and Madison Longo were present that night practicing their “walk-out” dances.

Despite the elections and nominations, being on court was a “bonding experience,” said Homecoming princesses Alexia Alvarado Saenz.

“I feel like it was just a little hangout or a dance class which is really cool,” Alvarado Saenz said. “I want to thank everyone that allowed me to have this opportunity and I’m really glad I get to be apart of the rally from the inside of it.”

Although, students in ASB weren’t the only ones preparing for the rally. Weeks following up to the highly-anticipated event, several campus programs have developed their performances influenced by the “Tangled” theme such as cheer, choir and varsity dance.

With an upcoming deadline, cheer wrapped up their performance just in time after preparing “since the beginning of August”, said senior and cheer captain Margaux Marquez.

The “hype” of the performance is especially reliant on the atmosphere for cheer. Being inside the gym “creates a different kind of energy for the whole school,” said Marquez. “Compared to outside on the field, you don’t get as hype because it’s more of an open space.”

Alongside cheer, choir performed “I see the light” accompanied by drama members dressed up as Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel.

Ending off the performances, varsity dance organized their showcase entitled “Conceited.”

Senior and dance captain Giselle Edwards credited varsity dance with being “extra prepared” for the rally. “We’ve been practicing just this dance since school started. We practiced after hours at school just for this dance, just for this rally,” Edwards said.

“When I think of Rapunzel and Tangled, I think of like girl power, girl-boss…and our dance is so girl-bossy, so girl vibes, girl power,” Edwards said.

The rally began with RCHS’s rendition of “Tangled” with dialogue between Mr. Aaron Bishop, Ms. Kelsi Trautwein and Principal Joshua Kirk who portrayed the main characters, but the princesses were the main event.

Next were the “walk-out” dances, followed by cheer’s performance, and the court dance. The crowd was then presented with the “boat scene” replication presented by choir and drama, finishing off with varsity dance’s performance of “Conceited”

“The crowd engagement is back to its normal Rancho way,” said Trautwein. “It was really refreshing that everyone was back in the gym and we just had so much school spirit.”