Today’s newsletter is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Hello, La Mesa!
At least in my faulty memory, the first high school campus I ever stepped foot on was Helix High School. My grandma (graduation in 1969) and papa (graduation in 1967) took me to a homecoming football game. I was dazzled by the giant lights over the football field and the glamorous homecoming queen candidates.
A decade later, my own homecoming games at Steele Canyon High School were a disappointment in comparison. Since Steele had its first graduating class in 2004, it lacked the generations of alums cheering on the team that I remembered from Helix. Steele’s band also didn’t have any bagpipes, but I’m not sure that’s a valid complaint (in later years, Steele had my brother on percussion, which is obviously superior)
These comparisons may sound like Steele is a rival of Helix. In truth, we were too young and small for that. It’s La Mesa’s other high school, Grossmont, that has the lifetime rivalry. That’s because Helix stole half of Grossmont’s student body when it opened midyear in 1951. To cement their opposition, Helix’s mascot became the Highlanders as the inverse of Grossmont’s Foothillers.
Since then, Helix has embraced its accidental Scottish ties, with bagpipe bands, as mentioned, and tartan clothes in the graduation ceremony. In honor of its 75th anniversary, the school is adding a new Scottish tradition, that of Highland Games. In this heavy athletic competition, community groups will face off in feats of strength.
To see what promises to be an entertaining new rivalry on the field, head to Helix High School this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your own outdoor seating and let the games begin.
Drew Sitton
La Mesa Courier newsletter host
La Mesa story spotlight
In 75th year, Helix Charter High School finally hosts first Highland Games
By Drew Sitton • Times of San Diego
Helix Charter High School is closing out its 75th anniversary year with a new event: A Highland Games. […]
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