Central High School has carried certain negative reputations in Rapid City, but students are undoing some of those less-than narratives.

By Andrea Albor, Mia Guffey, Addison Colombe, and Hadley Temple

Many people in Rapid City have historically favored Stevens High School, but it seems Central is changing how people view them for the better, leaving people questioning whether Central has more a lot more to offer than they thought. Senior culture and school spirit is something that has helped Central change people’s perspectives about them, as well as their acceptance of cultures.

There’s a significant difference between the two schools, Central’s student body is made up of approximately 50% white students, with the rest being a diverse mix of Native American, Hispanic, Asian and many other ethnicities, while Stevens High School has a student population made up of nearly 80% of white students. Though the number of ethnicities at a school doesn’t define their connection and culture; it’s the ambition the staff and students have to make every school year memorable. Taviona Wilson, a Cobbler Career Center secretary, mentioned, “This class is a lot more ambitious, they’re a lot more I want this, and I’m going to do what I need to do to get what I want.”

While people in the community may see Stevens as the stereotypical better school for their students, current attending students think Central has good things going for it. Isabella Escalante, a Stevens senior, thinks highly of Central’s senior and school culture: “It’s more amped up and elevated than Stevens. I think Stevens kind of just does the regular stuff but Central definitely steps it up and makes school culture more exciting.”

Ferris Pendegraft, a former Stevens student who transferred to Central, appreciates Central’s involvement, specifically the weightlifting programs: “They actually inspire students to want to do more rather than dragging to go everyday,” he said. He also complimented Central’s mentality, the kids you meet, the staff, teachers, and coaches.

Central students have been said to be ambitious and school-spirited, but it wasn’t always that way. Taviona Wilson, class of 2022, mentions her class had less senior events and it was harder to attend the events if you didn’t keep an eye out for them. Josephine Maggard, class of 2004 says, “They just wanted to pass kids through, there was no senior meetings or setup fun things for seniors, they just wanted us to graduate. I think you guys have a way better senior experience than we did.”

Central seniors have put in the work to get what they have; with the help of admin and the class advisor it’s been quite easy. Central has become the only high school in the district as of now to allow grad cap decor to support school spirit and cultural backgrounds. “We didn’t do any form of decorating our caps for my senior year,” Wilson said. “The only people who were allowed to do it were our Native American students, so the fact that last year’s class was able to get that opened up for everybody was really nice to see.”

Stevens student Isabella Escalante mentioned she’s very strongly opinionated about the topic of grad caps. “I am very jealous that Central can decorate grad caps,” she said. She also mentioned that “Stevens students have started petitions and have had many signatures and it was still denied, but I don’t think Stevens will make an attempt for that to happen.”

Central had a big year last year, and students are striving to make each year increasingly memorable as their ambition and passions grow.