“Glorious Memories never die.”

The famous excerpt of our school song serves to remind us of our high school days, of friends, football games, homework and fun. But to the alumni of Waxahachie High School, these words are more than just a verse from our school song. Rather, they hold true the belief that their memories, good and bad, live on and carry themselves into today, never ceasing to influence the people they have become.

Today’s seniors enjoy the privileges of a modern 21st century society: Phones that allow us to instantly send a message to a friend, apps that track college applications or grades and programs to let us solve complex math equations. But to the seniors of the past, these advancements seem like the stuff of myth.

As WHS science teacher and 2006 graduate Katrina Rabien points out, “For physics we had … a copy of this workbook and it was your copy from the publisher.” Today, these workbooks are replaced by the likes of resources so easily uploaded to Canvas and Google Classroom for most classrooms and subjects.

For the more personal communication amongst friends scenes of movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “Clueless” come to mind — of prepaid phones and phone lines strung across teenage bedrooms.

“You literally met at the locker to talk to your friends,” WHS counselor and 1986 graduate Chrisanna Melick said. “It’s like, ‘Meet me after second period by the math bathroom.”

These interactions represent the changes in our society and of our growing reliance on technology, something that for Melick has resulted in “our communication (being) a lot better than yours,” she said.

Of course some things have stayed the same throughout time, including the pressures of high school. Cliques, relational drama and peer pressure have remained prevalent issues teenagers may face. One example is students who may struggle academically.

“Everything was a struggle academically … So I really had to work really hard for my Bs and Cs,” WHS Assistant Principal and 1996 graduate Jennifer Burkhalter-Foley said.

The academic pressure of high school still makes it self clear today with students pushing themselves to be number one. Melick spoke on her experience academically throughout high school.

“(There was) lots of pressure academically to make really good grades and so I really can empathize with the kids like that here,” Melick said.

Rabien said “mean girls” were a problem she dealt with. Burkhalter-Foley agreed through her reflection of “a long tradition of bullying … so I dealt with that as well.” With today’s modern technology bullying itself has moved from the classroom to the cell phone forcing many to confront it in new ways.

The famous verse from our school song — “Glorious memories never die” — rings true as alumni and current staff highlight distinct memories they’ve held on to, small and large. Rabien spoke on “watching science movies in Mrs. Price’s room from the 90’s,” and Burkhalter-Foley reminisced on staying late working on the yearbook. These memories may shape our WHS alumni into the counselors, teachers and assistant principals that they are today.

Now the class of 2025 is forming memories that will impact our lives going forward.

“Waxahachie Hail to thee, / We will ever loyal be”
“As we loud thy praises tell / Noble school we love so well”
“Green and white our banners fly / Raise them proudly to the sky”
“Glorious memories never die / Hail to thee, Hail to thee Waxahachie High”