High School Essayists Gracie McConnell and Kathlyn Wagner shared the excitement of being involved in Indianola CSD traditions and wrote about what makes Indianola a special community. Senior Gracie McConnell shared, “Being a cheerleader on the sidelines of a Friday night football game makes me proud to be part of the Indianola Community School District. I love seeing our brand new stadium filled with parents, students, and fans cheering on our football team. I love seeing purple and gold painted across the bleachers. I love seeing kids jump up and down trying to catch plastic footballs the cheerleaders are throwing. And I love seeing fans of all ages supporting all the work that goes into these home games.”
Sophomore Kathlyn Wagner enjoys this same experience from another vantage point: “One of my favorite moments of being a part of something was at Indianola High School freshman year, being in the marching band and marching onto the field for the first time. Putting on my marching band uniform and having that thrilling feeling is something hard to describe. Suddenly, all at once, my nervousness and anxiousness melted away as I played the school song and “Star Spangled Banner” on my flute at the beginning of the game. All of my looming fear was replaced in an instant by something much more extraordinary: pride. That is a tradition I am proud of. Last year we played at Simpson, but this year was the start of a new tradition. This year we marched on our field, the new Indianola Stadium.”
McConnell added, “Indianola is a special place because it is not hard to get involved. Everyone has a place to fit in and do what he/she enjoys whether it is a football game or something else. It does not matter what activity a person gets involved in, one can always know that there will be someone else there supporting him/her. The Indianola Community School District is known for its proud traditions, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Wagner wrote about community traditions as well, reminiscing about dancing on the stage at the National Balloon Classic with her friends and enjoying Log Cabin Days and the Warren County Fair. She wrote, “As Indianola continues to grow—and I see this through the new stadium and through the many new teachers at the high school this year—things continue to change and we have new traditions. However, one thing that always remains the same is our old traditions in our community! The art club, band, orchestra, and various other activities outside of school all hold their own traditions that I never want to give up as well.”
Part of our district vision is, “Proud Traditions,” and the other part is, “Unlimited Possibilities.” These high school writers shared how meaningful our traditions are and how they make Indianola special and pull people together. Wagner wrote, “We should be happy that our school district takes pride in these things and treats traditions with high regard. Each year brings along new challenges and roadblocks, but we are constantly improving and making things better for next year, for our future.”
These girls captured some of the excitement of being an Indianola Indian, and they understand the importance of relationships and of striving to continually get better. Please join them and me in celebrating our proud traditions while we seek unlimited possibilities!