The White Out game kicks off North sports every year. On Aug. 26, students gathered at the Switzer DAC and watched the Mustangs defeat the Huskies, 4-2. The game took place on Saturday at 11 a.m., switched from Friday due to concerns over the heat. 

White Out was the first BVN sporting event for freshman Julian Humphrey, and he was excited to go because most of his friends were already going. The schedule change did not make a big difference for him.

“I didn’t really mind, I think it would have been a bit more fun if it was at night, but there was still a really good energy,” Humphrey said. 

Junior Hannah Ard disagreed with Humphrey. She said that the game taking place on Saturday brought down the mood and the hype of the big game. She still had fun at the game, but the change heavily affected the atmosphere of the game she considers the biggest one of the year. 

For freshmen, White Out is the first major sports game that they experience as Mustangs. Both Humphrey and Ard believed the game was important for freshmen in different ways. 

“I think it’s a great way for freshmen to get excited about the sports events coming up,” Ard said. 

Humphrey plays C-team soccer for the school and was excited to support the program, and White Out was his first opportunity to attend a varsity game. Even for an upperclassman such as Ard, the game is an exciting experience every year, and it’s one she thinks that freshmen should be required to attend. 

“I think they for sure should [be required to attend games]. I just think it’s a really important part of being in high school, and I know that when I was a freshman that was the best part of the year,” Ard said.

While Humphrey does not think that it should be a requirement, he believes that it would be nice if freshmen attended as many games as they could. Even though Humphrey and Ard disagreed on the different specifics of the game, they agreed that White Out is a great experience for every student and that attending it helps students’ sense of school pride.

“It helps me a lot because it shows how many people care about the school and which team wins,” Humphrey said. 

They also both believed that the backing of a strong student section helps athletes perform better.

“I think it helps a lot. Hearing people cheer for you makes you more motivated, so when the crowd is quiet, you might not play as well,” Ard said.