A drum lets out a loud boom as a senior raises her arms in the air, setting off a chorus of voices that echo throughout the stadium. In unison, freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors alike stomp their feet on the bleachers and cheer on the LBJ football team. This atmosphere is one of LASA’s traditions and events. Between the milk gallon challenge, LBJ football games, Spikeball and spirit week, each grade level is able to experience LASA culture.

According to senior Jackie Meisel, LASA places a great emphasis on academic merit. However, the school also takes pride in its distinctive student culture, which consists of specific student-led traditions. Meisel said attending many LBJ football games has allowed her to observe and take part in the excitement that revolves around student spirit.

“LASA students have a lot of school pride,” Meisel said. “A lot of times, our students are so academically focused that the only time they have free time or time to hang out with their friends is still at LASA events, so at football games, people get really into it, and they have a sense of freedom that they don’t have at school.”

Junior Nadine Sauer thinks that LBJ football games and student-led LASA traditions are inclusive of all grade levels, but added that student traditions would not be possible without the class of 2020. Sauer said the senior section leaders at football games, who lead chants and hype up the student section, are arguably the most influential people at games.

“The seniors are the section leaders, so it’s kind of up to them if they want to lead the student section at football games or not,” Sauer said. “If they decided they didn’t want to do it, then we just wouldn’t have [section leaders] because you can’t have a leader from another grade.”

Meisel agreed that common traditions would not be possible without the senior class. She believes seniors heavily influence student spirit because they are the ones who carry on activities and lead the younger grades in classic customs. She said that the tradition of protecting the Texas statue from McCallum students who might attempt to vandalize is an important senior tradition.

“We sleep over outside at a giant campout and wrap [the Texas statue] up in saran wrap so you can’t spray paint it,” Meisel said. “Even though [McCallum students] basically never come anymore, it’s still really fun to campout on campus. So stuff like that I want to continue, and it’s up to the seniors to keep pushing.”

According to Sauer, seniors play a critical role in setting and maintaining student traditions at LASA. However, Meisel said that the customs and traditions vary year to year based on the personality of each senior class.