Students have begun to pledge their loyalty to West Shore every Wednesday, as of a new school wide implementation of the Alma Mater.

The Alma Mater is the anthem of the school, and by teaching it to students Administration hopes to bind the school together better.

“The alma mater is a tradition that helps each student build an identity with their school,” said Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer. “It also helps them in the future when they come back for Homecoming and different things [to] have that school connection for them.”

Unlike previous years, the Alma Mater reaching students is West Shore’s original. The song was originally written for the school when it opened, but through different senior projects variations of the song have appeared.

The version that has been used since year is an alteration made by Alumna Lexie Krehbiel as part of her senior project.

“I really just wanted people to know the alma mater,” said Krehbiel. “Graduation would roll around and one or two kids would sing it while everyone else mumbled. The old alma mater had no choral arrangement (just the melody). I figured that if I could make a version that the chorus kids were excited to sing, we’d at least have that subset of students singing.”

For some, the goal of the implementation doesn’t seem realistic.  

“I don’t think it will necessarily be a bad thing,” said senior Andrew Leonard, “but I don’t think it will instill the school pride or sense of togetherness or unity that people think it will.”

Others have hopes that the song can help the school.

“I think it’ll boost school spirit,” said freshman Katie Perez. “But we never needed it or thought about it before so I don’t really get why we need it now.”

At least for seniors, by learning the Alma Mater in homeroom they will know it for graduation.

“I don’t really care which version is being used, I just care that people know it and sing it,” Krehbiel said. “West Shore is great – people should be proud to sing the alma mater.”