‘Ram Fam’ Banners Throughout Community Helps Unite The Student Body

Do you know the ugly history behind the term “Ram Fam?” Today, the term “Ram Fam” is a phrase that promotes school pride and the Highland community. It appears on our school shirts; it is seen all around the school; it is even said almost every day by Principal Chris Jenson.

But before Ram Fam became the symbol of school pride it is today, it had a darker past. The term used to be used by certain groups as an exclusive phrase to exclude people and promote a clique behavior.

“It was used by a clique as more of a snobby club thing,” SBO Adviser, Wendy Curtis said.

In other words, the Ram Fam was dysfunctional to say the least. This exclusive group does not date back very far in Highland’s history. Many seniors may even remember or have been affected by it. Senior Annie Miner said it was an exclusive term used by a select few people but did not want to mention any names.

“It was a reputation that this group of girls had. They used ‘Ram Fam’ as their group name,” Miner said.

Principal Jensen and Curtis have gone to great lengths to make Ram Fam a more inclusive term that encompasses the whole community. That is one of the reasons that Jensen had the Ram Fam banners put up on 2100 South and California Avenue this September. The reason that the banners have been spread out all the way to California Avenue from 2100 South is to unite the East and West sides of the school boundaries.

“It’s totally hokey and that’s kind of what I like about it,” Jenson said.

At the risk of disagreeing with our principal, Ram Fam isn’t that hokey; it’s actually a pretty good slogan. It shows that Highland is a family and that when you are part of this community you have a home, or a safe place with people who care about you. Highland can really become a family.

Now that it’s been separated from its sordid past, it’s something the whole school and local community can be proud of. This term goes beyond just Highland students, it is the whole Highland community. The Ram Fam is who we are.

Although Ram Fam is a silly term that is seen throughout the whole community, it actively works to bring everyone together. Everyone has a way that they benefit from Ram Fam. It may be something small like knowing you are part of something, for some it is as big as a second home. It provides a safe and welcome environment for anyone and everyone in the Ram Fam.

There’s a lesson to be learned here for queen bees and bullies everywhere: You may think you’re being clever and cruel by coming up with a name for your clique that you use to exclude the other students, but you might find that your legacy becomes a slogan that’s used to bind the whole school community together in goodwill. That just goes to show how time can change things so much.

“It’s really about community building, in a broader sense,” Jenson said.

The Highland community is a family, and this family may not be perfect but we are improving every year. We are making a safe welcoming place for everyone and that is what Ram Fam means.