SANDY, Utah — At one of the oldest high schools in Utah, a focus on tradition helps keep the school's legacy alive and students thriving hundreds of years later.
Jordan High School was established in 1907 and in 2023, the halls are still bustling with Utah teens.
On Wednesday morning, students woke up with Good Day Utah to show off just how cool their school is.
With the drumline blasting in the background, student body officers shared what they're looking forward to in the coming weeks.
"I'm so excited for our traditional harvest dance and our winter fundraiser," explained student body president Kambri Butcher. "I'm also really excited to watch all our fall sports that made playoffs as well."
Being a student leader at any high school is a tough task and at Jordan High, these leaders go through a classic tradition with a nod to the mascot, Beetdigger Digger Dan.
"We went up to Idaho..and we collected the beets ourselves," explained student body officer Hope Wagner. "We dug them up from the ground and we had a whole assembly for it...they were not the best tasting, a mouthful of dirt but it was still awesome."
Students also flock to "The Spot," which is the school store in operation since 1933.
"Day to day, during lunch we sell," explained Makayla Nelson. "We work with brands such as Chick-fil-A and Little Caesars and we buy from them and sell their food."
The students go through a branding course and rebrand the store every single year, leaning on past logos and the school's history to create something students will love.
Moving to the theater, students are hard at work preparing for the Shakespeare Festival, a prestigious competition.
Last year, Jordan High’s choir won various accolades, including first place and second place in the Minstrel category for large schools. The Beetdigger Madrigals also won third place for large schools at last year's competition.
It's a trend the group hopes to repeat this year.
"We've just been working our tails off since school began and even during the summer," explained Jaron Putnam, who directs the students. "To learn music to be prepared for this festival and the students have worked so hard and I think we've got a really good set and we're looking forward to it."
As with any school, it's the students who make it cool and students embrace their interests to succeed, the legacy of Jordan High continues to flourish.
