t is 7:30 pm on Friday night, and you are with your friends cheering on the football team. You are pleased to see everyone dressed up in this Friday’s theme: Space Cowboys. Everyone’s outfit is unique and vibrant. The reality is that these themes have been a long-time tradition at Woodward. On most Fridays, it is a popular student tradition for students to come support their War Eagles football team by dressing up in the selected theme for the night and cheering them on. So far, the themes have been Space Cowboys, Hawaiian and Red Out. But have you ever wondered where did these themes come from?
Peyton Funderburk ‘23, a varsity cheerleader, helped come up with this year’s themes along with her five fellow senior cheerleaders: Elizabeth Ann Atchison ‘23, Arden Autry ‘23, Rahmsei Phillips ‘23, Emani Turnipseed ‘23 and Lexi Twiss ‘23. They sent them to WA Spirit, the Instagram account that highlights school sports and events, a week or two before school started.
Funderburk appreciates all of the student support shown through participation in the theme.
“When you’re standing on the sideline and you see all [of] the students [in the] students section just dressed up in their theme, it just makes you happy,”
Funderburk said. She encourages everyone to support the War Eagles with their outfits.
“Everybody should participate in football game themes because it’s very fun and the pictures are cute,” Funderburk said.

Maggie Nievera ‘24, a varsity cheerleader who is also a part of WA Spirit, expresses her love for the traditional aspect of the Neon theme: bows.
“I love that the cheer team does a special thing where we get bows for your class color and you [put] neon glitter in your class color,” Nievera said. “It’s a fun thing where you could just be your own specific color while also supporting the football team.”
Nievera recognizes using the theme to unite the Woodward community and gather support for the football team is the most important part of having a theme.
“My favorite part about seeing the theme come together is definitely just seeing the student body as a whole being a group and a community where we’re all there to support our team,” Nievera said. “I really love when a lot of people come to the games, especially just in an all-out theme.”
Funderburk acknowledges that the theme is important in more ways than one rather than just showing support for the school’s football team.
“The theme is just to bring students together because if you go to a home game and you don’t participate in the theme, you look like you don’t support the school,” Funderburk said. “I just think when everybody decides to do the theme, it just shows that we are a community.”
Malin Tangsujaritpunt ‘23, a senior who participates in the football themes, enjoys seeing people using the outfits as a way to express themselves.
“I really liked the theme because it was interesting to see how people got creative with Space Cowboys,” Tangsujaritpunt said. “It was a great start to football season and I’m also excited to be taking pictures for yearbook on the sidelines.”