The stress of knowing who will win the football game has the audience at the edge of their seats, everyone’s loudly screaming to cheer on the school team, there are posters soaring everywhere in excitement. But the pressure and worry while the game quarters go by is not much fun for the audience, which is why the halftime show at a football game is a highly important and anticipated event. 

   The homecoming halftime show at MACES consisted of a marching and music performance by the school band and the performance by the cheer team. While the event is exhilarating for the cheering audience on the bleachers, the performers contain their nerves and try to make a good show. Brianna Penaloza, a junior and member of MACES Band, said, “It’s a very fun and nice experience, on my first performance I was a bit nervous of messing up, but after performing multiple times I got used to it.” 

   The marching band has to attend rehearsals every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-7 p.m. to perfect their show. She comments that she enjoys being a part of the band and watching all their hard work result in an enjoyable performance. It is very important for the band members to perform well in front of the audience and the parents who go to support too, as well as being part of a great entertaining event. “There’s a saying we have in band, ‘There’s no I in band’ which means that if one person messes up we like to say that everyone messed up, just as a way to acknowledge that band works together,” Brianna Penaloza, a junior, said. 

   While the Wolfpack band has to rehearse for the halftime show, the cheer team also prepares a lot for their performance of the night. Destiny Morales, a junior and member of the cheer team, talks about how the cheerleaders get prepared, “We go over the routines over and over again, and even though it gets repetitive, it’s what helps us to get it to be perfect. We try to go full out when practicing so we have that momentum when we actually perform to go full out with.” Even though it takes a lot to stand in front of parents and many students, Morales says it is a very special experience and feeling because she is accompanied by her whole team. “We’re there to show support and give the guys that exhilaration so they can get motivation. We like to hype the crowd up, and our performance gives some entertainment and energy to the crowd to also hype up the football team.” Morales said, highlighting the importance of the cheerleading team in a football game. 

   The halftime show also serves as an interval for the audience, the football players, the directors of the game, and everyone who makes the event possible to enjoy a different performance. “The football game is the obvious entertainment of the night, but in a way, the halftime performance is enjoyed by the people who go to watch; it’s a way to give some different entertainment for a while,” Brianna Penaloza, a junior, said.