East Grand Rapids High School has thrived off the “Tradition of Excellence” since the district’s establishment in 1841. The idea of a tradition of excellence stems from the extensive track record of student success in and out of the classroom. With 150 total state championships and almost a 100% graduation rate, there is no argument.

A tradition that is revered the most in the high school is the football student section. If you have ever attended an East football game, then you might have seen a big American flag, heard the loud cowbell, or been roused by the notorious chicken. Whichever tradition it is, they all stem back to former high school students who passed down these traditions each year to an up-and-coming senior.

The cowbell and the flag are relatively normal things, but when the opposing fans see a man screaming “Hail chicken, hail east, hail Luke Bertke, hail ya” while swinging a tormented rubber chicken tied to a rope, it lifts some eyebrows. The magnificent scene raises one big question, how did this tradition start?

Andrew Sebastian from the class of 1991 was considered a rather fraternal and rambunctious fellow. Sebastian was notorious for gaining a lot of attention which freed him to do what he wanted.

For a reason still not disclosed, he began to bring a rubber chicken tied to a rope to the football games. Since then, a chant has been added and it is now a ritual to perform the chicken after every East touchdown.

The staple of the student section has made its way to the class of 2024 senior Harry Reed.

“I think the chicken man represents East Grand Rapids spirit and sums up the environment of the stew,” Reed said.

The chicken man is what sets the East Grand Rapids stew apart from average schools. The rowdiness of the stew combined with the intimate relationship between the players and the crowd is what makes our games so special.

Even the staff recognizes the impact of the stew.

“I think it’s huge, I mean if you have a loud student section the players feed off that, the fans feed off that. And the opposing team feeds off that,” David Dublis, Student Services Coordinator said.

The anticipation of the chicken swing is what fuels the stew and gives it its power. With the Chicken comes great responsibility and honor. That being said, there is only one more question to be asked: Is Will Backus getting oathed the chicken?