Traditions and school spirit are one of the many factors that makes Elkhorn North special. The newly developed school has only been open for a little over four years, and the traditions are already priceless. Bringing the community together is the main purpose for traditions at Elkhorn North. The school’s traditions include Powder puff, Burning of the EN, Winter Formal, Junior Takeover, Senior Skip Day, and more.
Powder puff
Powder puff is a tradition at Elkhorn North when students participate in role-reversal football games. The games involve female students playing flag football, often coached by football players, while male students perform stunts as cheerleaders. Powder puff usually occurs the week of homecoming to promote fun and light-hearted school spirit.
“It may not look pretty, but it’s the effort that counts,” senior Jackson Crom said.
Burning of the EN
Burning of the EN is a top tradition at Elkhorn North. After Powder puff and the announcement of Homecoming court, students gather around the wooden EN placed in the back parking lot in order to watch the symbol burn up in flames. Although there is no significance to the event, students and staff enjoy coming together to watch the symbol burn. The cheerful occurrence is meant to bring the community together, and that’s exactly what it does.
“The Burning of the EN is a great tradition for the students of Elkhorn North as it brings many people together,” senior Aryan Panchal said. “It builds a stronger sense of community and culture into our school.”
Winter Formal
Winter Formal is a semi-formal to formal dance typically held at Elkhorn North during the winter season. It’s often organized as a school-sponsored event and serves as an opportunity for students to dress up, socialize, and celebrate during the colder months. Even though all other Elkhorn high schools host Homecoming and Prom, Elkhorn North is the only high school that hosts Winter Formal in the district.
“Winter Formal is Homecoming 2.0, but in winter. It’s a great way for underclassmen to experience two high school dances per year since they don’t have prom in the spring,” junior Delaney Phalen said.
Junior Takeover
Junior Takeover is a tradition where junior students symbolically “take over” certain roles or activities for the day after the senior class leaves. The junior class often steps into senior roles to prepare for their upcoming and final year. At Elkhorn North, junior students gather on the football field the day after the senior class leaves, and they partake in games, breakfast, and music with their friends to kick off the end of the year as top dogs.
“It was a great experience for the whole grade to come together, and it was kind of surreal because we knew that the last year of all of us being at the same school was officially starting.” senior Lydia Pruch said.
Senior Skip Day
Senior Skip Day is an unofficial school tradition at Elkhorn North where members of the senior class collectively agree on a designated day to skip school as a whole. At Elkhorn North, this tradition usually occurs on the Monday after Prom. Students use this day to hangout with their friends, catch up on sleep, and overall just enjoy the day off.
“Senior Skip Day is something all seniors have been looking forward to, and you best believe I won’t be there,” senior Reagan Palmer said.
