Some Granger traditions are remembered through stories of crowded football games, school assemblies, and senior traditions. For longtime members of the school community, these memories are more than events that have disappeared. They are reminders of the different ways students get involved, spend time with their classmates, and feel connected to their school.

Mrs. Funk, a Granger alumna and longtime teacher, remembers one of those traditions from her time as a student. She played clarinet in the pep band, which performed at football and basketball games. Being part of the band gave her another way to get involved at school and helped her become more interested in a sport she knew little about.

“I didn’t even understand football until I did pep band,” Funk said.

Pep band is one way students can get involved in school outside of sports. Funk says she would like to see more opportunities for students to participate in activities and connect with their school. She believes some of those programs began to fade as public schools received less funding, making it harder for students to get involved at a young age.

Funk also remembers senior trips to Moab as one of her favorite traditions. The trips gave seniors a chance to spend time together away from school and make memories with their classmates. For Funk, it was another part of Granger that brought students together outside of the classroom. She’s now the adviser for Granger’s new Outdoor Adventure Club.

Another tradition that has become a memory is the teacher dances at school assemblies. Ms. Oliver, a longtime member of the Granger faculty, remembers when teachers would choreograph dances and perform them for students.

The teacher dances stopped about eight years ago after Oliver missed an assembly to support a student who was afraid to attend. After that, the performances were never picked back up. Now, Oliver thinks the tradition could have another chance.

“Maybe that’s something that we’ll work on trying to bring back this year,” Oliver said.

The stories of these traditions show how much school events can become a part of student experiences. They also raise the question of what makes a tradition worth keeping and what happens when the people who maintain it move on.

Bringing back an old tradition could be a way for current students to experience something that previous generations enjoyed while creating new memories of their own. But bringing something back does not always mean doing it exactly the same way. Sometimes an old tradition can change with the people who bring it back.

That idea is already starting to appear at Granger as some familiar activities return in new ways.

Mr. McNeil, a longtime Granger teacher and former member of the faculty band, remembers performing with the group before COVID-19 interrupted school assemblies. He joined after an email was sent asking teachers who wanted to participate. The group performed at assemblies for about two years before COVID-19 put school performances on hold.

The faculty band continued after COVID-19, but the original members gradually began leaving Granger. As teachers moved to other schools or left the faculty, the group became smaller until another group of teachers eventually formed a new band.

McNeil remembers how students responded when the teachers performed. Students would cheer, get excited, and yell their teachers’ names. During one 2020 performance, students in the audience even held up their phone flashlights as the teachers performed.

Lt. Col. Plum, a JROTC teacher and member of the newer faculty band, remembered seeing the original group when he first came to Granger. After watching the group begin to fade, Plum decided to put together another band.

Plum hopes the faculty band continues beyond the current group of teachers. For Plum, performing is not only about the teachers. It also gives students something to look forward to and allows teachers who have never performed in front of an audience to try something new.

“I think it’s fun for the students to see the teachers perform,” Plum said.

The return of the teacher band is not the only example of an old tradition taking on a new form at Granger. This year, the school is bringing back something that looks a lot like the old pep band. A revamped marching band is making its return to Granger.

Mr. Spalka, Granger’s music teacher and the creator of the new marching band, said his own experience with marching band inspired him to bring the program back. He participated in marching band throughout high school and college, traveling across the country to perform and compete.

When he began teaching in Nevada, Spalka also created a new marching band at his school after the program had been gone for about 10 years. Seeing the impact it had on students there made him want to bring that same experience to Granger.

Unlike the old pep band, which mainly performed from the stands, the new marching band will also perform on the field and participate in more events. Spalka hopes it can eventually become part of pep rallies, sporting events, and other school activities.

Spalka says students do not have to join the marching band to help keep it going. Showing support for the students involved, coming out to performances, and even suggesting music they would like to hear can all help the program grow.

That kind of support could also help the faculty band become a tradition future Granger students can look forward to. Plum says the band will perform during lunch on Nov. 13, giving students a chance to see their teachers take the stage.

For traditions like these to last, they need people willing to participate, but they also need an audience willing to show up. A packed crowd, loud cheers, and students getting involved can turn a one-time performance into something people look forward to seeing again. As Granger brings back old traditions in new ways, students can decide which ones become part of the school’s future.

“It’s got to start with someone, and it’s got to start somewhere,” Spalka said.