From the cheerleaders, to the band, to the homecoming candidates, to the students in the stands, everyone was amped up and excited for the annual Homecoming pep assembly on Friday.

“I really love just the energy and how sometimes the crowd is just so involved, and excited to see all the stuff that everyone has prepared to perform,” junior Delainey Francis said. 

Francis is a varsity cheerleader. 

“My favorite part is when the cheerleaders perform because I am a huge fan of performing and I just love performing so much,” Francis said. 

For the freshmen, this was the first assembly in high school.

“I thought it was great,” freshman Chloe Phelps said. “I thought that all the amazing vibes were really nice and I appreciated it.”

For Phelps, the atmosphere was the standout part of the afternoon. 

“I thought it was amazing,” Phelps said. “I thought it was a great experience and I hope to see it happen again.”

The assembly brings the whole school together in the gym, creating one of the only times where almost every student in Derby High School is together as a community. 

“I do feel a sense of community because I just think it’s so cool how the Pantherettes can get together, the band can get together, the cheerleaders can get together,” Francis said. “(I love) how we can all get together and everyone’s here just for school spirit and it’s amazing.”

While most students chose to go to the assembly, some chose to go to study halls. However, students who chose to go to the pep assembly loved it.

“I like fun things like this, so I always go to them,” Phelps said. 

Francis thinks everyone should come to pep assemblies.

“I think people should come because school spirit is so important and I feel like they’re just so fun and why would you not want to come to them?” she said.