FORT SMITH (KFSM)- Southside High School in Fort Smith has a new fight song following a Fort Smith School Board decision to change the school's fight song and mascot.
"Wabash Cannonball" will replace "Dixie," according to Southside High School Principal Wayne Haver.
The school board voted Monday (July 27) to change the fight song for the 2015-2016 school year and to change the Rebel mascot known as Johnny Reb by the 2016-2017 school year.
Haver said he has listened to more than 500 fight songs and a committee picked "Wabash Cannonball." He said Southside is going to use a more upbeat and fast-paced version of the song that is used by Kansas State University, which can be heard here. Southside will also have a shorter version of the fight song that they will play after touchdowns.
Haver said they decided to go with "Wabash Cannonball" because the song stands out from the other fight songs the committee was considering. The Southside High School band will begin practicing a slightly different arrangement of the Kansas State version of the song next Monday, according to Haver.