Like most schools throughout the United States, Normal West has created a school song that gets played at assemblies, at the end of games, and at the end of the school day.
In the first school year of Normal West High School’s existence (’95-’96), former band teacher and West Hall of Fame member, Lisa Preston, worked with Robert Sheldon, a local composer, to create the school’s fight song that we know and love today.
The school song was discussed among the administration long before the school opened; however, the discussions around the song created many debates amongst the staff: “It was unclear if this is something the athletic department, school, or music department needed to make happen,” Preston explained.
Two days before the opening of the school ceremony, the fight song was still under work.
It wasn’t until the Band department, led by Preston, commissioned a piece for Normal West from Sheldon, who was living in Normal at the time, that West had an official fight song.
“In a panic, I called him and asked if he happened to have a fight song hidden away somewhere. He laughed and said he had one that he had previously written for [a school that no longer exists] in Florida and [that] he would be happy to give it to us if we could use it,” Preston said.
It was then that the first cheerleaders of West pulled a late night to write the words and create a routine, so West could have the fight song at the opening ceremony, celebrating the opening of Normal West.
“The story goes that the cheerleaders sat down and wrote the school song to accompany the sheet music, somewhere in (…) the year 97,” John Bierbaum, social studies teacher, explained.
Today, students may have seen a new banner in West’s north gym.
The banner is dedicated to a late West junior, Melanie Smith, whose life was cut short due to a car accident on August 3, 1997.
Also active in volleyball and gymnastics, Smith was a member of the cheerleading team throughout junior high and high school.
She would have continued her cheerleading by participating in varsity football and basketball cheerleading during the ‘97-’98 school year, and also had plans of extending her cheerleading into college.
“Melanie not only always had a smile on her face, but she also made sure everyone else in her path was smiling, as well,” Erin Scott, a friend of Smith’s, stated.
Because of Smith’s impact on Normal West, it was a no-brainer on dedicating the the fight song banner in her honor.
The song, in its entirety, wouldn’t have been created without the help of West’s former cheerleaders.
“I can’t imagine a school without a fight song, it’s a vital part of a school’s image,” Preston said.
West has existed for about 30 years, and the song has existed along with it.
A few West staff members have also been here from the beginning and have been hearing the fight song for their whole career.
Since the song has been played for so long, it may connect present and former students.
“It can carry a legacy by connecting current students and staff with the alumni or retired staff. That legacy can also connect parents who attended West with their children who attend West currently,” Kristyn Fairfield, special education teacher stated.
“Any school song bonds people together in the ‘now’ and can bond people to the past and future of that school,” Anthony Berardi, social studies teacher, said.
For Normal West student’s of today, the fight song means a lot of things.
When they hear West’s fight song, they may think of the end of the school day release, a football player scoring a game-winning touchdown, or being together with fellow students to watch a school assembly.
“The tune and even the words, to an extent, are not as important as the shared experience(s) that are associated with the song,” Berardi explained.
With the bonds created by West’s fight song, West can feel more unified and build school spirit.
“It builds school spirit and bonds of solidarity organically,” Berardi stated.
“It gives the ‘energy’ we need to foster our school spirit with everyone standing, clapping, and singing as one. It can create enthusiasm and pride when the school song is played. It unifies or brings us all together as ‘One Big Team,’” Fairfield explained.
As the school grows, the song will grow along with it.
Without the original Wildcat cheerleaders, Preston, and Sheldon, West may not have had the fight song students and teachers hear at assemblies, games, and at the end of the day.
