The Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.

If you have not heard, you must have been living under a rock for the past week.

Washingtonians are still celebrating the victory achieved in Seattle this past Sunday. The 12^th Man flag flies high on buildings around the Puget Sound and blue and green seems to have worked their way into everyone’s wardrobes. An entire state coming together to support a team.

While football may not be your thing and you may find the hype of the big game coming up anything to get excited about, something can be drawn from the Seahawks victory and the resulting brouhaha.

A community has been formed around the success of our football team. People from all different backgrounds now have a commonality, a team and an upcoming game to discuss. The hallways are filled with trash talk, point-spread predictions and all around excitement for the upcoming Super Bowl Feb. 2.  Students and teachers, young and old have all come together over a single football team.

Power exists in humans coming together for a cause. A connection among people with similar interests.

This connection does not come solely from the success of the local football team, it comes from any occasion humans join together. Anywhere humans cooperate to achieve a goal, a community is created. When this community is created, amazing things can happen. Communities are able to not only unite people, but create real change.

Whether it be a football team, a community service project or an after school club, involving yourself with a group of people working towards a cause is beneficial.

These sources of unity do not always have to come from an organized group or club. Often times these relations sprout from common passions, hobbies or interests. While some could argue these passions could be enjoyed individually, when even simple joys are shared between two people, their value is amplified significantly.

In this issue of The Viking Vanguard, several students and staff have been featured for their participation in unique and uncommon recreational passions. We encourage you to read of their varied hobbies in the Focus section and to embrace the individual interests you hold yourself.

We encourage each and every person to go out and find something they are passionate about. Something to dedicate yourself and your time to. Just within the community of Puyallup there are club sports, volunteer opportunities, church groups and book clubs to name a few. Each of these creates a community to surround it and its goals. Within each of these communities, change is made. Whether it be the enjoyment of discussing your favorite book’s main character with others or serving alongside others at the local soup kitchen the benefit is immeasurable.