At a time when many students would still be sleeping, Parkway West students joined together to build school spirit prior to varsity football’s home game against Lindbergh. The event took place on the stadium field and consisted of appearances from different athletic programs and games between grade levels.  

On Oct. 3, Fox 2 News visited Parkway West for a sunrise pep rally as part of their Pep Zone segment, where they cover different high schools across the St. Louis area. Preparing for this activity required preparation and involvement during the week from Longhorn Counsel (LOCO) members and sponsor Katelyn Arenos. 

“I met with our LOCO board during academic lab to discuss ways to make this successful. We came up with ideas on what games to play. It took all week [working to] create the materials for the games, among other logistical things. We hung up flyers around the school, posted on social media, emailed teachers and students and worked with the athletic department to get our athletes involved,” Arenos said. 

Advertising to students is one thing, but ensuring students actually showed up was another challenge. Despite the early start time and late notice, many students, especially seniors, showed up to showcase their West spirit.  

“When we were asking people if [they were] going to come, [they weren’t sure because] this was really early. It was fun, we had another early morning [event similar to] senior sunrise. I thought it was nice that a lot of seniors showed up,” senior and student body president Kamori Berry said. 

Typical news coverage of West athletics features brief interviews and doesn’t fully encapsulate the spirit West has to offer. This event, televised on Friday morning before the school day, featured interviews from multiple athletes, including cheer captain and senior Shea O’Connell. 

“They interviewed me about being a senior and what cheer meant for me. They also asked me about college because I’m a senior. [Cheering for West] is honestly such a huge part of my life. I’ve made some of my best friends. It’s a really great bond that we’ve all made with each other. [This event] was super fun because this is not something that you get to do every year, and being surrounded by so many amazing people and showing our school spirit is always one of my favorite things,” O’Connell said. 

While the event featured competitions between both juniors and seniors, the overall camaraderie and sense of community between classes was impossible to ignore. 

“We have a lot of Longhorn pride here, and we love to be the best. We love our school [and knowing] even when you leave [West], you’ll always have [these] memories together [is meaningful],” Berry said.