When the end of the year comes, students at NDB prepare to showcase their spirit at the exciting Aquacades rally. Students spend many hours getting ready for the event by choreographing their routines, preparing costumes and props, mixing their music, and painting backdrops. The Aquacades rally is not the only time students showcase their spirit.
“Spirit is something so important here at NDB, especially being an all girls school, I feel like it gives that space for people to be able to be wild and crazy,” says ASB Spirit Director Isabella Michael.
Anyone at NDB knows that tigers always love to show school spirit. Whether they are cheering each other on at sports games, performing in Aquacades, or yelling a chant at top volume, they are representing who they are and showing the pride they have in their school. These experiences allow tigers to bond with others and create that true sisterhood NDB is known for. When someone joins NDB, they know that they are entering into a lifelong community that always supports each other. The school’s spirit makes students feel proud to be going to their school.
“Rallies have been a part of Notre Dame from the beginning. You can find yearbooks from a billion years ago that have pictures of different rallies and events in the dining room, in the small gym, and then eventually, when the Moore was built,” said Jonathan Tomczak, the Freshman Class Coordinator and moderator for the National Honor Society Board.
These rallies are such an important part of NDB culture and an amazing way for students to connect with their school community. These rallies are held several times a year and are used to honor sports teams, recognize achievements, and celebrate NDB’s school spirit. Through these events, young women are brought together to empower and support each other. They also allow students to gain spirit points for their class, contributing to friendly competition between the classes. These rallies close off exciting spirit weeks. These weeks are thoughtfully planned by the Associated Student Body and the Student Council. All of the themes for each day of the week create a fun environment where students are encouraged to show their spirit and win spirit points for their class.
According to Tomczak, Aquacades began in the 1940s. There was a student at Notre Dame that was a member of the Hawaiian Royal Family. She worked with the school to have an event centered around water. This was in honor of her culture and her homeland. Since then, it has evolved into the event that is seen today. This story inspires tigers today to honor their roots and to be proud of who they are.
“[Aquacades] has really become a way to show your spirit and love for the school. I really always like doing [routines] to show my school pride and spirit to represent my class,” says Class of 2028 Spirit Director and Aquacades participant Sammi Barret.
NDB’s cheer and pom teams always demonstrate their energy and spirit. They are committed to always being there for the school’s teams at every single sports game and event. At rallies, they have special routines that get everyone even more excited to be a tiger. They also dedicate many hours of their time to practice and compete year round. These teams inspire other students to bring their energy to everything.
“Don’t be embarrassed, because being loud and being crazy, everyone does it. There’s really no reason not to. Everyone’s just having fun,” says freshman Catherine Toomey, a cheerleader for NDB Cheer.
NDB school spirit has never dimmed, even in a school that has been open for over a hundred years. Instead, it has only grown stronger as tigers recognize the women that have come before them and the community they worked so hard to build in the school. NDB has many amazing aspects that make it such an amazing place to learn and grow, however the spirit stands out. NDB’s school spirit represents who they are and creates an experience like no other.
