Explore the meaning of Spirit Rock

Mariane Ghazaleh
Staff Writer

Spirit Rock rests outside
 of the Auxiliary Gym

The Spirit Rock overlooks the athletic field behind Apex High School. On any given day, you can walk back there and see how students have painted it to show support for different sport teams and their fellow classmates. What most students don’t realize is that there is a deeper story behind the decorated stone.

In 2006, the student body president, Ozzie Vargas, died in a zip line accident while on a retreat. The tragic death was a traumatizing experience for both students and teachers. The shock brought on an “outpouring of affection” says Principal Matthew Wight. “He was loved by people, and people wanted to do something to commemorate his life.” At other schools Wight had been at, there was a spirit rock where kids could show support for the school. Apex High faculty and students thought the rock would be an appropriate remembrance of Vargas’ energy, spirit, and enthusiasm. A stone quarry donated the hand-picked rock to the school and it was decided the rock should overlook the athletic field.

Now, the stone is a symbol of school spirit and a memorial for people who gave so much to the school and whose time has passed. Wight describes the overlook as a “free expression area with the rock as its center piece.” Vargas may be gone, but his legacy lives on through the frequently used Spirit Rock.