It took me four assemblies to realize that our chant spelled “victory.”
The feeling of being encircled and confined by a crowd, the sounds of yelling adolescents, and the smells of perfumed (or otherwise) individuals—assemblies are a sensory nightmare.

But usually at assemblies, you have someone to cheer with, lest you’re more like me: in which case, you might exchange grimaces over loud squeals.
I didn’t have that companion: I was a new junior at Liberty High.

If I was feeling particularly generous, I would’ve gone through the motions, but I did not.
The freshmen had just walked in—and with that, a different kind of loud behavior: booing.

Maybe it was the duality of LHS, the kindness I had heard of and the apathy I had already experienced, but that assembly inspired nothing in me.
The inevitability is that high school will seem unimportant when we’re all adults with “grown-up” problems. So school spirit and unity—why does it matter?

I am, at times, taken aback by how ephemeral every moment is: soon after reading this, you’ll move on to whatever uncertainty lies ahead.
But know that in this moment, you are a part of Liberty High.

For whatever purpose you choose, you can influence people you interact with here—be it momentary or forever: the equally frightening and fascinating thing is that you don’t know.

I asked underclassmen to define a Liberty Patriot—they generally described a spirited, respectful person who is proud of the school they go to.
Even the freshmen, who were welcomed this year with the seniors’ backs turned, agreed with this description.
New freshmen want to contribute. With the goal of a Patriot community, what’s the point of divisive class warfare?

Perhaps you think it’s just fun tradition: in which case, you might continue. All I ask is for awareness of your actions and their potential effect.

My perspective changed because of someone kind, and then numerous others completed the shift. Only then, did I feel like this school wasn’t so unfamiliar.

The chants created to celebrate this school are just arbitrarily assigned words; they could be used for almost anything. Spirit would not exist without people who care—the concept of the “Liberty Patriots” would not exist without people.

The majority of freshmen wished for a school that opens its arms before they open their own.
Already, they’ve expressed interest in being a Patriot: it’s up to the rest of us to accept them.
In doing so, we may even change the minds of those who don’t view Liberty as anything more than the school they attend.