The sound of whistles and drums echo through the halls of West Chicago Community High School on Thursday, February 29 as band, cheer, and dance gathered in the hallway inside of entrance B in preparation to acknowledge the achievements of athletes Brady Johnson and Jayden Huesca Rodriguez.
The parade was led by drum majors and seniors Owen Thompson, Christina Gou, and Kevin Dorl. Last year, the same two athletes were honored for their achievements at state; Dorl was then assisted by (now alumni) Jack Riconosciuto and Ali Manspeaker. Although there was the complication of a fire alarm, there was no need to evacuate the building on the cold day that was Feb. 29, 2024.
“It was a lot of fun and I definitely think that the students had good energy and vibes! This year I felt more confident with the route and just parading around the school, there wasn’t a fire alarm to disrupt us this year so that’s a plus,” Dorl said.
Marching throughout the halls during den, students stood outside of their classes among peers to congratulate the athletes, listen to the music, and appreciate the schools sense of community.
“It was a very exciting and fun, but got a bit awkward. When the band stopped playing and the athletes walked by, it was pretty quiet,” junior Khashika Narain said.
Dance and cheer seasons ended a few weeks prior, uniforms had already been turned in, but the teams reunited and walked the parade with poms to support the state athletes.
“It was nice to do something with my teammates one last time after the season,” junior Katelyn Columbo, a dancer, said.
The parade was a momentous occassion for the two senior state athletes as well as the band, cheer and dance team seniors. This was the last time that they will participate in an event as a WEGO cheerleader, dancer or band member.
“It was nice to walk and cheer with the cheer team one last time,” senior Lucia Rodriguez said.
