Editor’s note: A previous version of this article mistook Yell Like Hell results and overall results. The article has been edited for clarity and the Daily regrets this error.

The Student Alumni Leadership Council celebrated Iowa State’s 109th Homecoming with a pep rally Friday. 

“The pep rally is just an awesome opportunity to have students interact with the alumni coming back to Ames for homecoming to show our school spirit and Cyclone pride,” said Student Alumni Leadership Council President Hunter Crawford. 

A pep rally did not take place in 2020 due to COVID-19, which made this year’s rally more exciting.

“Everybody’s really excited to be back here in person,” Crawford said. “Not being here for the last year has really got everybody hyped up and ready for this year’s pep rally.”

The event was kicked off with performances by Dance Marathon and Simon Estes. Dance Marathon is a student-run philanthropic organization that raises funds and awareness for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Simon Estes is an Iowa State professor and operatic singer who has helped students attend the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.

The pep rally also featured a performance by the ISU Varsity Marching Band and Spirit Squad. However, the night would not have been complete without Yell Like Hell, which has been an Iowa State tradition for 58 years.

During Yell Like Hell, sororities and fraternities on campus get together to create and perform a skit and dance before a panel of judges. Each skit must include the Iowa State fight song and incorporate the homecoming theme. This year’s theme was “Cy of the Storm.”

The competition began earlier in the week with 15 teams, but only three were selected to perform at the pep rally for the finals. 

“It’s pretty thrilling,” senior Taeghan Sharpe said. “It’s kind of like in the moment you kind of forget what’s happening ‘til it’s over.”

Sharpe was a member of the Cyclones of the Caribbean team composed of Sigma Kappa, Alpha Tau Omega and Pi Kappa Phi. Their skit, titled “Cyclone Shipwreck,” won first place. 

The second-place winners were Chi Omega, FarmHouse and Acacia, with their skit “Journey to the Cy of the Storm.”

“I’ve done this for three years,” Sharpe said. “My freshman year we won, so it feels good to be back at the finals.”

The 2021 Cardinal Court honorees were brought onstage and introduced in between the Yell Like Hell finals performances. This year’s selected King and Queen were Tyler Naughtrip and Nicole Martindale. 

“I was pretty surprised, because a lot of those people onstage have a lot of very big accomplishments,” Naughtrip said. “They’re all awesome people, and they’ve all made a huge impact on Iowa State and Ames in general.”

Homecoming was full of celebrations and traditions for students to enjoy, and the pep rally helped represent many concluding highlights of the week’s festivities. 

“It’s a really exciting week,” Crawford said. “We’ve had a really good time planning the events and we’re having a good time putting them on as well.”

The pep rally was live-streamed and can be watched here.