As years pass, more students start to seem less engaged in non-academic opportunities through their school. Durant likes to encourage everyone to show their school spirit with a full week of dress-up before the homecoming game and dance. This also goes for Durant’s swim team, who went all out at their City Relay swim meet a few weeks ago. This year was bigger and better than usual as things are finally starting to pick up where Covid-19 dropped them.

Kicking it off with ‘Merica Monday, students and staff demonstrated not only pride in their school, but also in their country. The colors red, white, and blue were prominent throughout the classrooms. Jumping into Champa Bay Tuesday, Buccaneers, Lightning, and Rays attire flooded the halls. On Wednesday, peanut butter and jelly, Mario and Luigi, ketchup and mustard, and Cosmo and Wanda could be spotted in the courtyard as people met up with their dynamic duo. Character day was celebrated with people dressed as anyone you could think of.

“My favorite day was Thursday, I loved dressing up as an icon” says Kylie Noland, Durant freshman.

To end the week, everyone wore blue and gold to school. Tutus and Durant shirts splattered the campus until 7:30 pm, when the “green out” for the homecoming game started. The stands were filled with eager fans- green head to toe- when the Cougars crushed the Sharks with an ending score of 45-13.

Football games aren’t the only place to show school spirit. The swim team competed in City Relays on September 11^th, which gave them a chance to show how much they love their school.

“City Relays is a fun, exciting event for swimmers from various schools that come together to show their school spirit,” says Coach Rohlfsen, Durant girl’s swim team coach.

The Durant tent was camo themed, so most of the swimmers marched around the pool deck in camouflage and cowboy hats. Another huge aspect of the meet was the spirit stick.

“It had a cougar on top and it was a pool noodle with tinsel on it; the cougar wore goggles” said team manager Vera Richie.

The swimmers that competed all did their best and did a phenomenal job representing Durant and what it stands for.

As the school year continues, Durant students will continue to show their love for their school. Next on the agenda is the pep rally that will be sometime this month. Whether it be through academics or athletics, all of the students that attend Durant are proud to be there.