There’s a tangible difference in the level of school spirit at Interlake High these days.

Perhaps it’s the renovated building, completed when this year’s graduating class was entering its freshman year. Or maybe it’s the fact that the Saints football team made its first playoff appearance this fall.

Either way, the Interlake community is feeling good about itself, and it was evident during the school’s annual recognition assembly June 12.

The football team performed its haka war dance to get the crowd pumped up, and students dressed as though they were attending an actual sporting event. They cheered that way as well to acknowledge the accomplishments of their teachers and friends this year.

“There’s been a lot of apathy at this school in the past,” said senior Ben Fisher, the school’s ASB vice president. “This year, we’ve seen people getting up, getting involved, and getting interested.”

At least 150 students, including 16 with disabilities, had just returned from Service Day events that included work with organizations like the Red Cross, Mountains to Sound Greenway, Northwest Harvest, and EarthCorps.

“It was awesome,” said junior My Ly, a special-needs student who helped pull weeds and clear brush at Lake Sammamish State Park.

Service has played a major role in fostering pride at Interlake, according to Stephen Bronskill, the school’s ASB president.

“The days of apathy and inactivity are over at Interlake,” he told students during the assembly. “We need to continue to bring this culture of spirit, pride, and power.”

Overall, Interlake students completed around 11,000 hours of community service this year, with projects ranging from tree plantings to flood-relief efforts.

ASB advisor Kimberly Alexander says she encourages students to find pride in the accomplishments that people often overlook, like those involving band, robotics competitions, and school rankings.

“Kids are getting excited these days about the diversity of opportunities at this school,” she said.