Among many things, WCHS students pride themselves on having strong school spirit. With each Friday of the fall being a new spirit day for the Friday night football games, there has to be someone who leads the spirit. A non-affiliated, yet very persuasive group called the Churchill K9 has been spirited since 2021 and have now passed down the torches to the class of 2024.
“We had to sign up through a google form where we were then chosen from the previous K9s from last year,” WCHS senior Joey Kaplan said. “Once we were chosen we had an initiation where we had to wear a dress with jeans and a hat. We had to go to school early to have the K9s from last year paint our face.”
Something that comes with being spirited at school is not being afraid to stand out. The first thing the K9s had to do before they were handed the torch of being a WCHS K9 was wearing ridiculous makeup and clothes to school. The makeup and outfits that made them stand out were hilarious, yet also exemplary for this year of how spirited they would be. While initially embarrassed, the K9s were able to find comfort in their ridiculous outfits and find it comedic.
“Initially I was hesitant to go to school with the makeup because I was a little embarrassed at what people might say,” Carrasco said. “But once I walked into school the embarrassment went away and I was even more excited to bring spirit to the school this year knowing that I won’t be embarrassed when I’m showing my school spirit.”
Something that is important to the K9s is getting students to participate and support the WCHS community and sports teams. It is imperative that they themselves show off their school spirit in order for other WCHS students to follow in their footsteps. Not only do they show their spirit through their clothes, but they also show it through cheering at the sports games themselves.
“Our main goal is to get WCHS loud and spirited in various school events,” WCHS senior Karina Carrasco Da-Silva said. “While we weren’t designated to do this by the school, we think it’s important to keep students involved.”
A big part of the WCHS football games is the student section. One thing that the K9s do is inform students about the theme and general information about the game. They also post throughout the day every Friday about the spirit around the school, including WCHS staff. An important aspect of K9 is to keep WCHS students engaged in school events and activities where they can keep students spirited.
“Even though K9 started as just an Instagram, I have been able to use its influence for the football games as well,” Kaplan said. “I love that I can encourage WCHS students to attend the football games and show their spirit while also leading the cheers for the student section.”
School spirit is a fun and important aspect of the high school experience, uniting students and creating a sense of belonging. It fuels enthusiasm for sports, academics and extracurricular activities, fostering a supportive and vibrant community where memories are made and lifelong friendships are forged.
“While K9 is not technically WCHS affiliated, I feel like I am a little bit more a part of the community,” Kaplan said. “I think K9 is a great way for students to learn more about how they can show their school spirit and support their school in general.”
