Every year, Puyallup High School hosts an Alumni Assembly to honor the former students from both 25 and 50 years ago. Though the assembly has been postponed for the past two years, this year it brings us together in a new way, a way in which connecting with these former Vikings feels refreshing, normal.
The Alumni Assembly gives us a view of what it means to be a Puyallup Viking and how the legacy we make now can carry on for years to come. It gives us a chance to cherish our experiences now and make the most of our lives before we reunite with high school friends, teachers and peers.
This year, reconnecting with everyone feels different, maybe even special. With the celebration of not just two classes, but six, we are bringing back the traditions, such as the Alumni Assembly, that carry the legacy Puyallup holds.
Through the two years of isolation we faced, we come back to a school that feels like a true community, a home to many students. This year more than ever, the daily task of getting up and heading to school does not feel tedious as we return to our normal patterns of life. For the alumni of PHS, coming back to their high school community and home will be a reminder of the comfort they once felt walking the halls as sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Alumni have forged our school’s history and defined the richness we see through the halls. As Puyallup is big on its unique traditions, like the Daffodil princess crowning, Fair Day and many other unique events and cheers, including the Puyallup fight song, we believe the tradition of meeting past alumni as they reminisce on their days here is important.
Allowing current students to meet and hear the stories of Puyallup’s past is vital towards keeping Puyallup High School’s knowledge and history alive. Specifically with the Alumni Assembly missing for the past few years, we find this year’s assembly extremely necessary towards bringing back the Viking spirit and tradition many alumni remember and cherish.
With students being deprived of Viking past we believe it has left a hole in the high school experience. Without knowing their high school’s past, it doesn’t allow them to grasp the history and importance of the hallways they walk through every day. The flags in the atrium presenting the class year and yell of former graduates, the donations from alumni scattered throughout campus or more recent traditions, such as senior tiles, are all overlooked by students who have not been presented the opportunity to learn about their school’s history.
We believe that the Alumni Assembly presents us with opportunities to reflect on our high school experience and grow moving forward. It proves to us that while high school is four years out of the many we will experience, it can unite us now and with our future alumni assembly.
