Warriors Born and Raised
What it truly means to be a Salamanca Warrior
The term warrior can have many different meanings. The dictionary says a warrior is a brave or experienced soldier or fighter. Here in Salamanca being a Warrior is very close to the heart; it is not only the school’s mascot, but a part of ourselves. To me being a Salamanca Warrior means that no matter the score, you fight until the end, always giving 100%. When you truly are a Warrior, you are a member of a family not just an athlete on a team.
After sitting down and trying to figure out what it truly means to be a Warrior, I realized everyone has their own definition. So to be sure that I covered all aspects and attributes of what a WARRIOR truly is, I decided to ask alumni, teachers, coaches and fellow students what being a Salamanca Warrior means to them. Teacher and alumni Rachael Wolfe says “Being a Salamanca Warrior, to me, is being a part of a community that is full of pride, resilience, honor, and talent. Warriors are proud of who they are, where they come from, and the rich culture they have. Warriors don’t give up, and are both talented and competitive whether it’s on the court, field, stage, or in the classroom. Even though our Seneca territory encompasses other communities, in my opinion, Salamanca has always been the representative of our territory. Salamanca schools are the heart of Salamanca; therefore when you say you’re a Salamanca Warrior, you represent something bigger than just a school, you represent the entire community. Not only am I a Salamanca alumni, I followed in the footsteps of my father and grandmother who were both Salamanca Seneca language teachers, and I am also raising my children to be Salamanca Warriors.”
I, myself was a Warrior born and raised. Both of my parents are alumni from Salamanca. My father, Donald Hill graduated in the class of ’87. To this day, he still reminisces of the Friday night lights and being in the Warrior uniform. He told me, “Being a Salamanca Warrior brought me pride, honor and heart. Salamanca was the toughest field to come to, the Warriors were a force to be reckoned with. Being a Salamanca Warrior has taught me so much and no matter what I’ll always be a Warrior.”
Junior Kohl Ambuske participates in Key Club, Varsity soccer, basketball, and track. When I asked him what being a Warrior meant to him he had a hard time putting it into words because the Warriors in our school have so many different attributes. When he finally found the right words he told me “Being a Warrior is doing the right thing all the time and putting effort into every situation, no matter how small it may be and no matter the outcome. Salamanca is truly remarkable; the atmosphere for the students is like no other. I may move on to different places in my life, however Salamanca will always be my home, and I will forever be a Warrior.”.
Unfortunately we as Warriors are often misunderstood due to the stereotypes of Salamanca. Other people or schools may be affected by misconceptions, but the Warriors here at Sally High don’t care about the talk. Every day, either in the classroom, hitting the court, or out on the field, we continue to show being a Salamanca Warrior is an honor in every aspect and we continue to shine. And to all the Warriors reading this at home, always remember the family you are a part of here at Sally High, and also never forget where you came from.
Pictured in this Sept. 26 file photo, Aly Hill (3) scored a hat trick to lead the Salamanca girls soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Cattaraugus-Little Valley. - Salamanca Press File Photo
