Inside The Blue And White
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Welcome back to Inside the Blue and White! It is with great honor that I introduce myself as the newest author for this column. My name is Jenna Elizabeth Trusty and I am a senior at Water Valley High School. Mya Harden is one of my very best friends, and I am absolutely over the moon that she has asked me to continue this article.
I love being busy and I am involved in a lot of activities both in and outside of school. I currently serve as the varsity cheer captain as well as this year’s editor for the junior high and high school yearbook, “Valley Views.”
I am also a member of Beta Club, Student Council, and Interact club. Outside of school, I enjoy my time as a member of the Sylva Rena Baptist Church youth group and working in the front office of Oxford Cheer and Tumble. The students of Water Valley lead extremely full lives during the summer, and I am no exception.
My summer kicked off with a trip to Italy! In partnership with EF Tours, Mrs. Anna Koshenina led a group that consisted of myself, my mother, and five other students through multiple Italian cities. Our stops included Venice, Florence, Rome, and so much more. We were taken on guided tours of historical sights by Italian locals, excited to share their culture! We also had plenty of time to explore on our own, much of which my mom and I spent trying all flavors of gelato. It was a long but extremely fun trip!
Barely even a week later, I set out for Hot Springs, Arkansas, with the rest of the cheer team to attend UCA-B2 camp. This camp taught us not only materials, like cheers, dances, and chants, but it taught us important values like leadership, a positive attitude, and hard work. I truly believe it has left us better off as we gear up for football season.
Fellow senior Belle Belcher and I also had the opportunity to try out for the title of “All-American” cheerleader, and we both made it! My summer ended the way it always does – missing the first few days of school to be in Mt. Ida, Arkansas, at incomparable Camp Ozark. I have been a camper at Ozark for the past seven years, and it is one of my favorite places.
Herald columnist Jenna Trusty reports that the Water Valley High School cheer squad took home awards for a superior performance and top dance over the weekend.
This is a Christ-focused summer camp where I spend my days playing games, doing activities (such as pottery and baking), bonding with people from all over the country, and learning about the Lord.
Camp Ozark has blessed me with some of the best friends I could ask for, and while sad that my experience as a camper is over, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
I am not the only student who has been up to a lot this summer though! The Water Valley High School band held a rookie camp, in which they prepared rising band members for the year. Band also held regular band camp, in which they learned their new music and put together their show for the upcoming season. It rained the majority of the week, but when given the opportunity to be outside, the band was extremely productive.
Senior Mallory Tidwell will serve as drum major for the 2024 season.
“The new eighth graders were very attentive and ready to learn,” Tidwell shared. “They have been doing well with everything that has been thrown at them.”
Volleyball has also had a bustling summer. With a new coach, the team hit the ground running competing in multiple summer tournaments for practice. Two of these tournaments were hosted at Oxford High School and the other at Pontotoc High School. The team both won and lost, and it has prepared them all the better for the season, allowing them to figure out their strengths and what they still need to focus on.
And of course, it wouldn’t be August in Water Valley without the annual Watermelon Carnival! The community comes together to enjoy a weekend full of fun and festivities in the city park, including opening ceremonies, the introduction of the Watermelon Queen and her court, and music!
Vendors and food trucks come from all over to participate in this awesome event. It is the perfect way for students to celebrate going back to school. I am so excited to see how this school year goes and bring you all along for the ride!
