Ready for the big day

Blue Springs South teacher Craig Dierking remembers David Cook as a great student who pushed himself to do well in any class.

In fact, one day, Dierking said Cook was sitting in his pre-calculus class trying to come up with a name for his band. After looking up several mathematics terms, the pair came across the name “Axiom.” Dierking said although Cook liked it, they started looking at other possible names including car terms.

  “I suggested ‘pitman arm’ which basically converts the angular motion of the sector shaft into the linear motion to steer the wheels,” he said. “He (Cook) looked at me with the most serious look on his face and said, ‘I don’t think I want to be in a band with the words ‘arm pit‚’ in the name.’ I just shook my head, smiled and said he was probably right. So Axiom, spelled with a ‘u,’ is what he named his first band.”

Dierking is just one of the hundreds of students and staff at Blue Springs South who are preparing for Cook’s return to Blue Springs Friday. Cook will participate in a parade, followed by a concert at Larry Stewart Memorial Stadium at Blue Springs South.

Principal Keith Maxey said the stadium seats between 6,000 and 7,000 people. However, if standing room is included, more than 10,000 people could fill the stadium, all in support of Cook.

 “It will definitely be a standing room only crowd,” he said. “Every Wednesday, the conversations are all about what they thought of David’s songs and how the other contestants performed. It is a little crazy here at times, but also kind of exciting.”

The parade, which begins at 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Moreland School Road and Adams Dairy Parkway, will be led by the Jaguar Pride Marching Band and include the cheerleading squad, the Touch of Silver Dance Team as well as the school’s mascot. Maxey said prior to Cook taking the stage at the stadium, there will be performances from some of the participants of Southern Exposure, the school’s spring talent show which is also this week.

“I remember David as a nice, young man who was involved in lots of different things from choir and baseball to theater,” Maxey said. “It has certainly become very exciting here for a lot of people.”

 Dierking said he has felt pure pride to see one of his former students on “American Idol.” He said he has had some amazing students come through his door over the past nine years, but to hear and see Cook’s continued success makes him feel humbled to know that he had the honor of having Cook in class.

“After seeing him sing the Bon Jovi song in his audition, I knew he would go very far in this competition. I think he is the rocker‚ that America has been looking for in this competition since it started,” Dierking said. “I will be there every step of the way (on Friday). Hopefully he will get a few minutes to stop by my classroom to just say hi. But with his busy schedule I doubt he will get that chance. The school is rallying behind him, the town is rallying behind him, and I think the entire Midwest is rallying behind him. It has been an amazing ride that all people in this area need to be a part of. And we can thank David for that.”