The school pep rally at Stadium by the Sea on Friday, Oct. 19 was interrupted by a spontaneous performance from senior and Water Polo team member Samuel Navarro, who changed many students’ outlook of the rally.

The pep rally started as most do, with teams ranging from Academic Decathlon to Boys’ Soccer walking out of the tunnel. When the a cappella singing group, AcaPali, was performing a song, Navarro began dancing on the field while wearing a blue Speedo and blue face paint.

Navarro was removed by school officials shortly after he began his display and hurried off to the sidelines in a towel. Some of Navarro’s new fans were upset by the removal.

“I thought Sam was the star of the show,” senior Ron Nodel said. “He really showed off.”

While some students echoed the sentiments of Nodel, others were quick to criticize Navarro.

“I think it was kind of deserving of Sam to get in trouble because of the performance,” senior Sam Dahl said.

However, Navarro’s actions were not without consequence. While privacy laws prevent the disclosure of the specifics of disciplinary action imposed upon a student, a well-placed source confirmed that Navarro served 10 detentions, which were levied for his stunt as well as his defiant and disrespectful behavior toward administrators, who had told pep rally participants not to wear body paint. Meanwhile, some of Navarro’s teammates were suspended because they were disrespectful to members of the administration during the pep rally.

“We suspended the [water polo team] for one game,” coach Adam Blakis explained. “Half the players were suspended for Monday’s game [Oct. 22], and the other half will be suspended for today’s game [Oct. 24] vs. Banning [High School].”

Blakis believes the actions taken by Pali officials are justified “because the boys need to be more respectful to our teachers and staff,” though Blakis distanced himself from the controversy, saying, “this was a decision from [school] administration.”

But after Navarro’s impromptu performance, the pep rally’s scheduled program continued. After AcaPali finished its song, the Dance Team and Cheerleaders performed, followed by Dewey Dolphin’s homecoming proposal to Daisy Dolphin, an offer she readily accepted.

In spite of the occasional disturbance, Pali plans to continue the tradition of pep rallies, according to ASB Commissioner of Athletics Taylor Smith.

“The goal of pep rallies is to get the student body excited for the upcoming football game and the homecoming dance,” Smith noted. “[Pep rallies] also showcase our athletes and help create solidarity within the student body.”