School spirit is a vital component in establishing a strong culture within a school. At Woodford, many students take pride in maintaining such an extreme level of spirit, but how much of this effort do we actually see? We hear the student section, the band, and the cheerleaders on game days, but what about when it’s not a game day? What happens behind the scenes?
Every year at Woodford County High School, spirit pants are passed down from a graduating senior to a rising senior. Not just any rising senior, not just any rising senior- the one with the most spirit and energy for Woodford County, Cole Humston, was the rightful heir to the previous pants wearer, Braxton Brock, and now holds the title of the student section leader. But as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. When asked about the responsibilities faced when wearing the pants, Humston revealed, “As the wearer of the pants, you have to make an effort to attend games for all teams and show an equal amount of support.” He also explained the importance of the tradition, stating, “The pants help school spirit because it shows other students that going to games and being spirited is fun and rewarding”. Cole Humston serves as an important reminder that school spirit falls on the shoulders of the student body, and though it comes with work to be done, there is no shortage of fun and excitement throughout the process.
When talking about school spirit, the cheerleading squad cannot go unmentioned. What many people don’t know is that the cheerleaders hold one of the most rigorous practice schedules to ensure that they’re ready to preform on gamedays, pep rallies, and national competitions, Katilyn Cabel revealed “A typical practice begins with us working our 2.5-minute routine and repping stunts as much as we can, and working the tumbling for that routine and breaking bit by bit. Toward the end of practice, we move into the gameday routine and emphasize the cleanliness and precision of that routine.” When asked about the school spirit side of cheerleading, Cable explained, “School spirit is something that we sort of emphasize. Our coach, Tasha, emphasizes our need to be leaders and display school spirit and maintain our image, as that is what our community sees of us. Since we are mainly focused on competition and our routines, sometimes school spirit and games fall under the radar as well, but still remain important and valuable to us.” By generating a spirited image through their hard work and dedication to their craft, cheerleading is a staple in the level of school spirit Woodford County possesses.
Last but not least, the thrilling and marvelous band. Many presume that playing an instrument is a mere talent. However, many in the band would disagree. We asked lead drummer Rex Brown what all goes into creating an exhilarating performance on game days that many people might not see. Rex Brown explained, “We have a huge time commitment to put our show on the field every year through tons of long practices. It’s certainly fun to get to perform for the crowd at games when we do, the personal satisfaction of seeing our sense of community grow and our work paying off at band competitions is what makes the activity worth it to me” Throughout our student body we have kids working all over in many different aspects of extracurriculars to ensure our Woodford pride stays in tact.
School spirit is a staple in maintaining a positive morale among the student body. However, after the input from these spirited students, we’ve learned that it takes a village. Whether it be through distinct tradition, exciting performance, or musical flair, our student body is doing what it takes to keep Woodford’s spirit alive.
