Most kids don't want to hear that they have to switch in the middle of High School.
This was precisely the case for me— I spent Freshman and Sophomore year at another school and had finally found my group of friends and became comfortable with my teachers. However, my family's move across the city was going to take every aspect of my life and rearrange it. This included, but was not limited to, the school I attended. My mother had told me that I was to switch schools, and I was devastated. Having to leave every thing I had grown used to and start all over left me as an anxious mess.
About a week before the end of summer, I had to quickly enroll in a new school after leaving the old one. We decided to first try my new house's base school: North High. I went into everything with a negative mindset, mostly Why did this have to happen to me?!
The first time I came to the school, it was on one of the final days of enrollment. The first thing I had noticed was the spirit. Students were wearing North gear and selling shirts (one of which my mom instantly bought) right at the entrance. Before now, all I had known North as was the school with the controversial mascot. Three floors in a school was absurd to me! The school I was used to had four hallways!
Though at first I was heartbroken about leaving everyone I knew, I quickly grew to love North. The most specific moment wherein this shift of mindset occurred that I can pinpoint was when I took my Student ID photo. My mom had been quick to inform the security guards that "she's new!" and they instantly began cracking jokes and making me feel much less nervous, telling me I would love it here.
Tradition
When I asked different teachers about what they believed set North apart, they all replied with one word at first to begin their response: Tradition. As one of the oldest schools in Wichita, it is bound to have a rich history. Decades of students have stories in this building, and the advanced architectural design of North is just not found in modernly built High schools. But what keeps it alive is the students and staff, who incorporate tradition. This was clearly the most unique thing I noticed at this school, and will always be its isolating factor from other schools. It surprised me. It seems bizarre to TP your own school, yet it is one of the most iconic and fun traditions, along with Waterfest, because of the beautiful river that is also a staple North feature at this point.
North is rich in tradition. We are the only ones with Waterfest, hall marches, TPing, War Cry... it's all us. - Mr. Herl
Students
Though I had my group of amazing friends at my old school, it was, for the most part, very rich and privileged kids. This is obviously not their fault, but it usually inevitably results in being harder to approach. The first thing I noticed at North was the approachability of students here. I already have more friends than I made in the past two years at another high school.
The kids here are amazing. I love the diversity, the personality... it's why I always stay. - Mrs. Randolph
Mr. Herl felt the same way, when he told me, "I've taught at a lot of schools, and they were so different, I can easily say the students here are great." Since the student body is so diverse and packed with minorities, many of which are first generation Americans like myself, everyone has a story. Many students will make family history by being the first to graduate High School, or to go to college, which I find inspiring in comparison to my old school, where your parent not going to college would be talk of the entire, 800 student school. "I see so many hardworking kids who are just determined to succeed," said Ms. Mandell.
The students at North are gritty. (Laughs) But in all honesty, the kids here work hard to achieve and overcome things every day- they've lived life already. - Mr. Owen.
A Happy Ending
There are many things that set this school apart, and I am so glad to say that coming here was great for me. Upon meeting all new kinds of people and my amazing Journalism teachers, it has been an amazing year, and I am looking eagerly forward to the next year. The jump from a barely 800 student school to 2,000+ was not expected to be simple, but it has been incredible to delve into the rich history and tradition of the school, especially due to the fact that I had been completely unaware of what it was holding beforehand.