5 minute read
TRADITIONS
by Lalo Walsh
Our campus is a simple one. It always has been. Since 1963, its solid brick buildings hunkered down under the big blue Kansas sky, it has been a home to us. It was and is still a spartan construction -- understated and unimposing on the surface. Yet those of us who have walked its halls know, like all things Spartan, it houses greatness within.
Perhaps our oldest tradition lies in this Spartan identity, in choosing to represent and be represented by the highly disciplined ancient Greek warriors revered for their bravery and stoicism. Our school motto, “Proba Te Dignum-Prove Yourself Worthy”, has worked alongside our mascot, challenging us to fulfill our potential by recognizing and acting on every opportunity with which we are presented. As James Mahoney wrote in our very first Collegian yearbook, “Opportunity is the enduring foundation upon which Wichita Collegiate School is being built. The future development of the school is limited only by our ability to dream, plan, and achieve.” His words hold true for us today, as we maintain this tradition of how we see our school and ourselves; our Spartan nature compelling us to look beyond limitations to glimpse possibility.
The yearbook that Mr. Mahoney’s words appeared in was printed in 1965, the same year Collegiate enjoyed its first football season. It was played on a rough field, and every year since then, athletes of all kinds have toiled and triumphed on its surface. In 1982, the same year as our first Homecoming Court, lights were installed, and ever since, we have gathered under them to cheer our teams on. These days we have many current Spartan parents who watch their children roam the same stadium and grounds they did, the memories of playing with friends while watching the older athletes battle it out on the field shared by multiple generations.
A Big Buddy enjoys lunch with his Little Buddy in the fall of 1986.
Big Buddy Hannah poses with Little Buddy Kennedy at this year’s picnic.
Before Friday Night Lights and Homecoming Court, however, there came into being a Spartan thing known as Picnic Day. It is perhaps our most treasured Collegiate tradition. It is an event that allows our entire Preschool through grade 12 student body to gather in celebration, pairing “Little Buddies” with “Big Buddies” and establishing bonds across divisions that years, and even decades, later are cherished. Picnic Buddy Day is a festive day, yes, but perhaps more than any other tradition, it fuels what makes Collegiate and its students special. A successful Picnic Day requires that Big Buddies be caring, gentle, patient, and fun-loving. In observing this, Little Buddies begin to envision themselves as growing up to be caring, gentle, patient, and fun-loving. It is an event that effortlessly sows the seeds of kindness and joy among our students.
But Collegiate traditions do not all revolve around fun and games. Academic rigor has historically been part of our identity, and from our earliest days as an institution, WCS has celebrated achievement in the classroom with Honors Day. Our arts program, too, has always been a focus of the school, the music department being nurtured from a simple co-ed chorus in the 60s into the behemoth it is today, offering our students the chance to take part in multiple bands, orchestras, ensembles, and musicals across all our divisions.
Of course, one of our greatest school traditions is enabling our students to take advantage of the many opportunities our school offers across all disciplines and fields.
For every student who wants to play a sport and an instrument or participate in the musical while staying active in volunteer work, there are multiple staff members helping them learn how to juggle their ambitions. Since Collegiate’s inception, our faculty have had a shared sense of mission in encouraging and accommodating our children’s broad range of interests and talents. It takes a great deal of commitment and flexibility on the part of our teachers and coaches; it is a tradition born of the generous hearts and minds of our educators through the years.
Our drumline half-time performance wouldn’t be complete without our football players hopping into line.
And it is because our teachers care so much about WCS students that they work to nurture not only their intellect and talents but also their respect for the world around them and their self-awareness of how they fit into that world. In 1994, one of these great Collegiate educators, Kevin Mykel, devised the famed “Good Life” paper. Since that year, every WCS graduating senior has made it through the “Good Life” gauntlet, a semester’s worth of introspection and writing which culminates in defending a thesis on what constitutes a good life to a select group of faculty. This writing process is one of self-discovery and is part of our school’s tradition of preparing our children to graduate and move on to the next phase of their lives, confident in their understanding of what drives them, makes them happy, and gives them peace.
High School students perform in the annual Broadway in Bluejeans showcasing their on-stage talents.
You see, bedrock to Collegiate is our appreciation of every in- dependent individual for their unique potential, knowing that each person will go farther when their community stands with them. This September, a statue of a Spartan warrior was erected. Leonidas stands, seemingly alone, atop a tumble of rocks. He is fearsome, strong, and ready for what comes next. Recently our football team gathered for the first time at his feet before the Friday night game. One couldn’t help but feel it was the birth of a new tradition. It was Homecoming, and around our team, we assembled: students, parents, alumni, teachers, and coaches. Looking up at Leonidas, we all understood--he is not alone at all. Together, we are Spartans.
