Photo credit: Marie Thomas

TIDE IN ACTION |Leader of the Norsemen Tide, senior Sarabeth Thomas is seen hyping up the crowd. She believes the student section is at an all-time high. “I think the student section is a lot more loud and more people show up to the games,” Thomas said. “People are super excited to go to the games. It’s lively.”

With the new and improved Norsemen Tide, the school spirit this year is at an all-time high. The Norsemen Tide is North’s student section and the leaders are picked from the senior class each year. In previous years, they have had one to two leaders representing the Norsemen spirit. This year, they shifted to four, to double the pride for North students and staff. A priority for the new leaders, Sarabeth Thomas, Addie Wakefield, Ben Rickerman and Jack Sendyokas is new and improved social media and better attendance at games to boost North morale which has been very successful according to students, parents and staff.

As the main leader of the Tide, senior Sarabeth Thomas is devoted to bringing life to the student section. She spends many hours after school attending games and cheering on her school. She is determined to rewrite the narrative of our student section and is doing this by encouraging her peers to show up and show out in order to give North students the best possible high school experience. 
“In the past, we haven’t had a lot of school spirit at North, and I think that now this year we are just trying to get more people together to enjoy it,” Thomas said. “I try to excite people, encourage them to show up to games when they can, and support the teams. And I think that brings people together.”

As an avid attendee for various North athletics, junior Joelle Latta loves that the Tide brings together the student body and shows other schools that we have a positive community and school pride. Latta looks forward to dressing up and having a fun Friday night under the stadium lights, which wouldn’t be possible without the environment the Norsemen Tide encourages and delivers.  

 “The Norseman Tide encourages not only the turnout for games but also shows other schools that we have a supportive student body,” Latta said. “Norseman Tide is different this year mainly due to the new leaders. It’s something for the students to look forward to and really just have a reward at the end of a hard school day. Personally, I love the ability to deck out in school gear and cheer on our teams.”

Students are not the only ones who love and support North athletics. As a parent and member of the Booster Club, Stephanie Boedeker feels the Norsemen Tide is an important asset in providing hope and pride to North athletes and families. 

“Norsemen Tide is important to students because it brings a sense of camaraderie and promotes school spirit,” Boedeker said. “The athletes need to see this because it provides motivation to them. One of the things I have noticed is the amped-up social media aspect that Norsemen Tide is providing. I hope it will continue to grow and cultivate positivity and lots of school spirit.”

As one of the four leaders of the Tide, senior Ben Rickerman values bringing the fun to game day. Rickerman appreciates the attendance turnout this year and feels the energy has been more lively than ever before. 

“The Norseman Tide is different this year because we have been getting great crowds and the energy just feels different at the games,” Rickerman said.  “I contribute to North pride by going to all the games and always going overboard with my outfits for game day.”

Going and attending North athletics is a prime concern to hockey coach and teacher, Brent Maynard. He believes going to games and supporting your peers can be very beneficial. He understands that the support from fellow classmates can have an impact on athletes and creates a positive environment for everyone involved. 

“I think it’s important for kids to feel that going to sporting events is valuable for them too,” Maynard said. “It can be like a social environment where kids are trying to amp them up. Just hearing your friends, seeing your friends, get hype about the stuff you’re doing, that means a lot to you.”