Reviving old middle school rivalries
April 22, 2015
Okay, to start things out let’s get one thing straight: Orchard shouldn’t even have a spot on this page and I apologize that such a joke of a school was given this space. Now, where were we?
Walking into the building and strolling down those long, wave-shaped halls. Taking a seat at your flimsy plastic desk and leaning back in a chair not held down with a ball and chain but free as can be. Keeping teachers on edge with the inevitable fear of students falling back and cracking their heads open. This might sound crazy, but that desk is a symbol of freedom. That desk represents the idea of growing up and taking chances. You can lean back and take the risk that sometimes you’re going to fall down and embarrass yourself, and that’s okay.
Middle school is such an awkward stage in a young person’s life. Don’t you remember walking into middle school on your first day and seeing the monstrous eighth grader who looks as if he hit puberty at age seven while you’re four foot something and are lucky to weigh 90 pounds. Then comes every parent’s worst nightmare: dating. To all you parents out there, let me somewhat comfort you. Middle school “dating” mainly consists of one thing and that’s passing your “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” in the hallway with their pack of friends, giggling as they pass by, and maybe, just maybe if you’re lucky, one will say “hey” shyly.
Some of the best rivalries in life are between schools, whether it be on the field or in the classroom. Pioneer excelled in almost all sports, including football, basketball, wrestling, and track. Now I’m not going to lie, Foothills got the upper hand most times, but trust me when I say, Pioneer never passed up an opportunity to put a beating on Orchard.
I can honestly say that the best part of going to Pioneer was the teachers. Each one had a special way of connecting with students in a way that made you feel loved and important. Yeah, some were weird and quirky, but that’s why we loved them. Whether it was Mrs. Grimm reaching casually into her pocket during class and pulling out a potato, or Mrs. Choman standing on a table dancing, middle school wouldn’t have been the same without them.
Sure, no middle school was perfect and there are always a couple sour apples, but like people say, you need a couple sour apples to make an apple pie. Except Orchard, they’re just awful.
As the doors open, you are surrounded by laughing kids, smiling teachers, and the smell of freshly cleaned school desks. This is how you know you just opened the doors to Orchard Middle School, the best middle school in Wenatchee.
Now let’s get this straight, we are talking about middle school here. This is the place that isn’t necessarily known as the greatest three years of your life, especially for those of us who learned that “a minute on your lips, forever on your hips” actually applied to you when you decided to eat a few more Twinkies than you should have, or that eating Taco Bell for every meal probably wasn’t the best idea when you did nothing but watch Spongebob until midnight. Oh and don’t forget that toothpaste doesn’t clear up that third eye, it just burns your face. But if we are talking about which middle school is the least worse, that is like comparing Wenatchee to Eastmont. There is no comparison.
From the great teachers to the great atmosphere, OMS is all around a better school than its rivals, Pioneer and Foothills. OMS is built similar to Wenatchee High School, which allows three years for the middle schoolers to familiarize themselves with a square-shaped building before attending WHS, so OMS students are already one step ahead.
Now let’s talk business– having a bulldog as the mascot is pretty dang cool. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if I had to chose between being protected by a bulldog or a falcon while a serial killer chases me down, I would chose a bulldog any day. Let me also add the fact that bulldogs probably won’t attack you instead of the psychopath, unlike a bear.
One of the top issues with any school is overcrowding. However, Orchard didn’t have that problem due to the smaller classes, giving the students more one on one help, which means getting that ‘A’ in math class just became easier.
Orchard may have not been very good at athletics — okay, maybe not very good at all — but it still was a fun experience which should really be all that matters, anyway. Orchard also had great music programs, which involved choir, band and orchestra. Personally, I only participated in band, but let me tell you that it was the highlight of my day.
Orchard always has and always will be the best middle school in Wenatchee. As for Pioneer and Foothills, well let me just say that they made a nice effort. I mean, who is going to take a school seriously when their colors are the same as bodily fluids, anyway?
Right off the bat, you as a reader need to know the solemnity of the following debate. Middle school was a harsh and unforgiving trial of fire that preteens walk through before being funneled into the bulging halls of Wenatchee High School and walking amongst 2,000 other kids. That trial of fire shaped who you entered high school as, the degree of your ignorance in high school, and the experiences you had there will affect and haunt you for the rest of your life.
That being said, it is clear that Orchard isn’t much of a contender in this rivalry. Kind of public knowledge, but the Bulldogs, who share a mascot with Cashmere High School, barely compare to Pioneer, much less Foothills. And Pioneer hasn’t got much to boast about either. To me, having to go through PMS before adolescence begins sounds terrible.
The fiercest rivalries are found in academic and sports fields. In sports, the Falcons dominated the field, especially in the most popular sports: football, basketball, and track. Foothills also had high participation in sports that combined all three middle schools. All those who hail from Foothills will remember a strong sense of pride when reflecting on the accomplishments of our awkwardly half-grown population in athletic competition.
In academics, the Falcons swept the competition — if you could even call the attempts of Pioneer competition. Orchard was pitiable. Excelling in both the classroom and extracurricular academic activities, Foothills killed the competition. Through enrichment programs, such as Falcon Flyers, students gained knowledge that could be applied later in life, such as interviewing a professional, working towards academic goals, completing community service and writing a resumé.
Foothills also provided an open and positive environment focused on rewarding student behavior. Even though we struggled through the horrors of Make Your Day, there was positivity present through Falcon Feathers, which could be awarded for any kind of excellence and could be cashed in for ice cream. Foothills also had the best participation in many areas. Aside from the academic and sports fields, there was participation in our music and arts programs, as well as assorted extracurricular clubs and our associated student body.
The rivalry between the middle schools in Wenatchee isn’t much of a fight. The Bears and Bulldogs can battle it out while the Falcons soar above and beyond the petty fighting. While we may seem similar on paper, the best trial of fire to march through would be Foothills. Falcons in general have been more academically challenged, athletically involved, willing to participate, well-rounded, and happily prepared for four years as a Panther than any Bear or Bulldog could boast.