Destiny Flores is NWIndianaLife.com's #1StudentNWI at Hammond High School. This month, Destiny wrote about the history of her school and the need for more school spirit.
School spirit is taken to heart in most high schools, starting from sports and academic clubs. In movies, high school is portrayed as jocks walking around wearing lettermen jackets with cheerleaders hanging on their arms constantly wearing their cheer uniform and a high ponytail, but is that really what the inside of a high school appears as to others? School spirit is deeper than just wearing your school colors, or seeing a mascot running around in a gym.
Not everyone can say that they can recall their school’s history, a history that has built up the nature of the school and gave birth to the deep appreciation that should thrive in the school hallways, classrooms, and fields. In present day there aren't a lot of students that can say they are proud of where they will be graduating from, given certain circumstances as a student you should be proud.
To give a brief background of a high school with plenty of history, Hammond High School was established in 1884. In 1915 the building was opened as Hammond Industrial High School, but traumatically caught fire on December 13, 1967, making this month the 47th anniversary of the historic event. By 1973, the reconstruction of the building was finished.
A lot could be told about the history, but there's something more astonishing that is not really spoken of: The Class of 1959 produced 17 Ph.Ds and many leaders in medicine, education and business. Currently, HHS is coming back from being on probationary accreditation status. The school is sometimes talked about today as a bad high school, but that is not the case!
Schools have their flaws, it is common. But nothing will change in the minds of it’s students if they are not aware of the greatness they can achieve and the greatness of others that have walked in the same hallway as them. For the 2014-15 school year there have been a lot of changes, new principles, uniform policy and etc. Change is good, but the only change that can be seen as not fitting is the “No spirit wear” rule. To be clear, the students are given certain days they can wear their spirit wear but what does that do? Where is the appreciation of the school being seen?
Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that there are some very notable alumni that have went to HHS? If you didn’t, they are Bob Anderson, a former pro baseball player for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers; Jean Shepherd, who is the writer behind the Christmas cult classic film, A Christmas Story; and Irv Cross, a former NFL football player who was once the host of the NFL Today. Who would have known?
Education is key and very important, but many kids need that “spirit.” They need school spirit, but nothing can be done without the participation of the student body. HHS needs to rise up and show what they are capable of, some alumni were interviewed of previous classes. One in particular was a graduate of the Class of 1998, Kwame Williams, who also is now the football coach at Gavit High School.
“I actually think we had more school spirit back in the late 90s," Williams said. "We had a good band back then and great basketball, baseball and football teams. I believe the better the teams, the more involved the rest of the school would be. In my eyes school spirit was the love you had for your school and your willingness to express that love (whether negative or positive) to others. I'm not in the school now so I really can't answer on how school spirit is now. Also we used to have a homecoming parade every year and I'm not sure if they do that now. School culture was similar to the way it is now, everyone was involved with their own groups (goths, preps, jocks and so on). But I also believe we didn't have a lot a spirit in my day as well.”
High school spirit plays a role in life, even if it's not seen now it will been seen in the future. College is just the aftermath of the spirit that was shown to your high school. HHS can be the example of greatness, we as students need to attend games and after school events. Many complainants are made about our new policies occur without positive action, show our region what we are capable. They will swallow their remarks about us, possibly even bring back “Willy” the wildcat our mascot and once again see the hallways drowning in purple and white.
It all begins with US.