Game night. The stands are going wild, and the game hasn’t started yet. Now the band is playing the school hymn, the whole audience is silent. Pick and shovel across every chest. The football team walks out hand-in-hand. Everyone goes crazy once again as they make their way through the band to the sideline.

Tradition. It seems to hold our school together. Those shown at football games, by the team and the crowd, seem to be the most notable. There are also a lot of them. There are team prayers, the entrance to the field, the cheers that the crowd joins in on. Even times when, out of reverence, respect, and spirit, there is silence. Here are a few specifics about such traditions and what students think of them.

Let’s start with the cheers. To someone who is at their first Bingham game it might be a bit confusing to hear all the shouting back and forth that the cheerleaders do with the crowd. Now, to be fair, it is chaotic, but within the chaos there is an organized energy that gets passed around, and hopefully out to the team. The cheers are iconic. Any student would agree. Hence the quoting (Seniors, Seniors, what’s your cry?) over the intercom in the morning.

There are also some other little things during games that you might find interesting. Ever noticed how the band plays the fight song after every touchdown? Or, how about how the stands make sure to go silent whenever a player might be injured? Both of these things have been around since before anyone can remember. Showing respect when it’s needed is part of being in the stands. It’s part of wearing the blue and white.

The Haka is its own category. Originally it was a traditional Polynesian ritual used to prepare the warriors for battle. Now it is just used as a celebration of culture. Our football team has a lot of Polynesian members and that is why it is done at the beginning of games. Coach Lambourne said “It was implemented… as a means of honoring and unifying” It’s been around for a while and that’s what makes us anticipate it so much every game. The team obviously gets into it.

Whether you’re on the team, in the student section, the band, or one of the cheerleaders, the traditions we have here at Bingham seem to be very good at getting the school pumped and ready to go for games. (we do win most of them…) So next time you hear the school hymn, or watch the team take the field, or yell out that V-I-C-T-O-R-Y in the stand; remember that it’s all part of the Tradition and Excellence that makes Bingham step out.