The sound of trumpets playing, homecoming football games, and wildcat energy bursting through the hallways: school traditions are engraved into the building no matter the time of year. Uniting the wildcat pride, passion, and tradition, school spirit is the heart of it all.
“Traditions bring the majority of the school together and make the year fun,” Aiden Ekstrom, junior, said.
One of the most known recent traditions is the drumline, typically done after 1st period to commemorate extracurricular state qualifiers. Students line the halls to cheer and energy starts to flow.
“The drumline allows us to cheer on our peers and get the day started off strong,” Ekstrom said. The vibe is simply hard to ignore.
The homecoming game, formerly on the Saturday morning of HOCO, moved to Friday last year, contributing to wildcat history. The bleachers overflow with students dressing to the theme, cheering for their class, and simply enjoying themselves. It is not just about football; it’s about school spirit, friends, and rooting for the football team.
“Homecoming has the biggest impact on students,” Jennifer Giorgetti, counselor, said.”It’s a fun-filled week packed with activities that truly allows everyone to get involved in some way.”
A fairly new enhancement, possibly soon to be tradition, is limbo during passing periods in the hallway. Music blasts from the intercoms and students share laughs with friends as they pass underneath to continue onto their next class. This specific tradition allows students to let loose during the school day.
“School traditions affect the atmosphere in a positive way,” Genevieve Berg, junior, said, “It gives the underclassmen something to look forward to in the future.”
Another tradition that takes place during homecoming week is the powderpuff flag football game, where a male junior or senior becomes the cheerleader for the girls powderpuff game. For seniors, at the end of the year senior banquets and superlatives take place to commemorate the end of their high school experience.
What makes wildcat traditions different is how they bring people together.
“Sometimes..it can be challenging to change traditions due to how it might impact the student body,” Giorgetti said, “ But ultimately, if it brings students together and builds school spirit, it’s always worth it.”
Cheering from the whole school and generations of wildcats to come, traditions are what make the school more than just a place to learn– it becomes a place to belong.
“Traditions give students something to look forward to and develop a sense of belonging and pride in being part of the school community,” Giorgetti said.
As the school year is nearing its end, one thing is for certain : wildcat pride doesn’t come and go, it lives within the school after every beat of a drum or chant from the stands.
