Kellogg High School Fight Song

Casey Fisher · Post by **Casey Fisher** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:52 pm

I remember watching the old Elks Parades where the Booster Band would play "Light the K for Kellogg High School" and many would tell me that that used to be our school fight song. I have always known "Hail to the Wildcats" as our fight song. Does anyone know when the change took place? Any memories?

Laurie Roberts · Post by **Laurie Roberts** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:09 pm

When I moved back to Kellogg in 1975 I was told that "Hail to the Wildcats" was the school song, and "Light the K" and one other song that now escapes me were our "fight songs." The pep band regularly played all three until the early 80s. (My mom would know the third one...). Others may have a different point of view on this subject--so feel free to offer other opinions.

I have a distinct memory of walking home from a football game during my first fall back there. My brother Paul was the quarterback and Kevin played, as well. We lived over on Elm St., which is just above the Amy Lynn's, perpendicular to Portland Ave. Anyway, I was walking through uptown Kellogg as a sixth grader, with Kevin's girlfriend, Lisa Holland, and she was teaching me all the words to the school song, fight songs, and alma mater. It seemed like a lot of my classmates knew the words, too. I sort of wish all the elementary kids would still learn the words!

Post by **Simon Miller** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:15 pm

I will let Gwen comment on this as she has done extensive research on the topic. I believe she also has "Hail To The Wildcats" in mp3 form.

But I remember "Light the K" and one other song that was played regularly.

The thing I miss the most is the playing of the Alma Mater after each game.

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:31 pm

The four songs I know from KHS are:
1. Hail to the Wildcats (which as far as I know has always been the school song) - but then again, I'm a part of the last 25 years and not a part of the first...however many years KHS has been inexistence.
2. Light the K (fight song)
3. Come on and Go (fight song)
4. Hail Alma Mater (alma mater)
All four of these songs were played frequently until, as Laurie said, the early 80s when the current band director began teaching at KHS. Since then, only Hail to the Wildcats has continued to be played with any regularity (and the way that song is played has been changed - K-E-double L-O-GG Kellogg Go, Go, Go is now chanted in between verses of the song).
Because this is the 50th anniversary of the current KHS building, I asked our director to resurrect the old fight songs and the alma mater. He agreed and helped me find the music for them, then I made copies of all the parts for the band members. Since then, we've heard Light the K and Come on and Go on occasion. He decided the alma mater should be played at half-time rather than at the end of the games. I don't think this went over very well because I haven't heard it played at all for the past several basketball games.
This is actually a bit of a sore subject for me, so I think I'll stop right here.

I do have all the lyrics (thanks to Simon's mom and dad, Dee and Jim) if anyone is interested in reading them. I did share those with the band director as well.

Casey Fisher · Post by **Casey Fisher** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:30 pm

Thanks for all of the info. Gwen... I don't know if I've ever heard "Come on and Go". Maybe I would recognize it if I heard it though.

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:08 pm

Hey Simon, what about a "General Music" section next to Band and Choir.

Rich Gaffney · Post by **Rich Gaffney** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:54 am

Help me out if I'm wrong. When we moved to the new High School we no longer had anything to light other than the K on the old High School, then Jr High School, now vacant lot. The K club raised the money to get the Cat for Andrews Gym. I believe it was either the class of '58 or '59 that did this. They also had their picture for the K Log taken on the roof in front of the Cat or beside it. When it was time to "Light the K" the K and the Cat were both lit.

Rich Gaffney · Post by **Rich Gaffney** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:29 am

Exum sure liked to start us young. I got my cornet after the fifth grade and was in band until after my sophmore year. I took the horn back up when I got in the military when I joined an all volunteer band, then switched to the baritone horn. Still have the old cornet. We had a female in the first chair and I would challenge her and never get any where. No matter how hard I practiced, she would cream me. She was good. She owned that chair. I just wish I could remember her name. Glenn was a mountaineer. He liked to hike and climb in the Sierra's in California. Even had a ridge named after him. I didn't know this until years later when I saw a special on TV while living in So. Cal. Glad some one recorded some of the schools musicals.

Lauren A. Scrafford · Post by **Lauren A. Scrafford** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:43 pm

[quote="Gwen Johnson"]The four songs I know from KHS are:
1. Hail to the Wildcats (which as far as I know has always been the school song) - but then again, I'm a part of the last 25 years and not a part of the first...however many years KHS has been inexistence.

As long as I remember it was Hail to the Wildcats.............

L.A.Scrafford

Willis Knox · Post by **Willis Knox** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:43 am

As a KHS band member from 1942 through 1948, I have no recollection of "Come on and Go" as a fight song. Perhaps it is the fight song based on the melody of "Go You Northwestern," the fight song of Northwestern University in Illinois. If so, it was adopted during the years I was in the band. The others mentioned by Gwen, I believe, are accurate accounts. On another note, Mr Exum provided climbing instruction from 1931 for a long period of time on the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming. His guide service was the only one allowed by the National Park Service to guide all peaks and routes in the Teton Range year around. Glenn Exum was the first to climb the Grand Teton ridge that bears his name.