HATRED is primal. Students take deep pride in the school that they attend. Understandably, they may feel inclined to hate an opposing or rival school. However, a school transfer is all it takes to turn the tables. No one really knows when they will be forced to change schools, possibly to the very school they once perceived to be an enemy. When this occurs, some students change their mentality. Others seem stuck in the past.

One of the newest Lancers recently attended East High. “It was downtown and close to places. That’s what I enjoyed most about attending East High,” Oscar Garcia-Gaucin (11) said. For Garcia-Gaucin, it wasn’t much about the school but the nearby attractions. This allowed him to enjoy his after-school hours.

However, liking the school you go to can also be about the people that students decide to surround themselves with. Although Garcia-Gaucin did not have a huge group of friends, it was the few he had that made him further enjoy the school. “My friends would be the reason I enjoyed East High. I guess that’s why I began saying I hated every other school—simply because of my friends,” Garcia-Gaucin said.

The way that students from other schools view Granger can change as soon as they walk into the school. This may cause them to want to become a Lancer, too. With the great joy of seeing how every Lancer shows great pride for the school that they attend, this convinces others that Granger High is more than a school.

“I personally used to hate on Granger. You adapt to the school you go to, so when I first moved to Granger, I thought I would never learn to accept it. But now, I call myself a true Lancer,” Garcia-Gaucin said.

Although Garcia-Gaucin enjoys being a Lancer because of the good energy and school spirit, there are students whose love for Granger comes from the students and sports.

Pablo Pando (12) is able to enjoy Granger because of the girls basketball team. Pablo had a harsh story from his days of attending Hunter High. He used to be bullied by almost anyone he came in contact with.

“When I moved to Granger, it was initially weird because I was all about Hunter. But, when I decided to become a manager for Granger’s girls basketball team, all my worries and bullying stopped. All the girls took me in as a brother, and now I absolutely love being surrounded by this great, positive energy,” Pando said.

Sometimes it’s the smallest things, such as making a new student feel welcomed into the school, that allows students to truly enjoy where they attend. For Pando, this was the case. He was able to feel like a true Lancer as soon as he walked into the gymnasium.

Although there are many students who feel at home when walking into Granger High, some students are not able to move on from their previous school. Carlos Mata (11) enjoys attending Granger, but he still misses many parts of Kearns High. “The community was great and so was the school spirit. None of this changed when I moved to Granger. I feel like I belong at Kearns,” Mata said.

Since Granger is home to many old and new students, it is important that Lancers put in the effort to welcome and respect one another.