This article was written by Autumn Baldwin
Lights, cheers, and laughter filled the high school’s homecoming weekend. Every year, students participate in spirit days, football games, assemblies, parades, and dances to celebrate the beginning of the school year. Homecoming is a very memorable event at the high school. Homecoming brings the community together to celebrate school pride and accomplishments.
Every fall, the high school hosts multiple homecoming events to welcome students back for a new year and kick off the year with some fun. These events include an assembly with games, the homecoming court dance, a parade through the high school parking lot, the homecoming football game, and a Saturday homecoming dance. Students and staff find ways to show their school spirit by wearing neon at the game and in school. A lot of work goes into planning the homecoming events; therefore with help from staff and students, the high school is able to have fun and also stay safe.
The homecoming assembly took place inside the high school. During the assembly, students were able to participate in games to help raise money and compete for prizes. What goes behind the assembly is much more than some think; the student council takes time out of their day to plan and make the assembly possible. The student council director, Julie Haveman, helps decide the games and the order of the assembly to ensure it is done perfectly.
“We brainstorm, as a student council, what are things we would want to do,” Haveman said. “We brainstorm games, participants, and we try to include as many people as possible, but also make it fun to watch.”
Although Haveman and the student council strive to make the assembly enjoyable, they also prioritize staff and student well-being.
“Our top priority is the safety piece of it,” Haveman said.
During the assembly, the homecoming court–after spending a week to prepare–performed their dance in front of the school. The homecoming court seniors enjoyed the dance, and it was one of their favorite parts of being on the court. The dance used popular songs (like “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Beiber and “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus) and the students enjoyed watching their classmates perform. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for the assembly. One court member (who was crowned homecoming king), Colin Yanik, helped plan and organize the dance.
“For the dance, we had to figure out who was gonna be our dance instructors, what days we’d practice, the dance music, and we had quite a few forms to fill out,” Yanik said.
(wondering if you had another quote about the court dance from another court member?)
Later in the evening was the homecoming football game. The high school football team ended up winning the intensely close game with a score of 17 to 13. Many students were shocked with how close the game was. The student section provided encouragement to the players as they all dressed in neon and participated in the cheers.
After the game, the homecoming king and queen were announced. This year’s winners were Colin Yanik and Arabella Marsman. Yanik is highly involved in the school and had a feeling he would win, while Marsman was surprised to be crowned queen because she had not anticipated it.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all, because I just thought the other girls were really great, and they had a really good chance of making it, and I was pleased, but still, it was just very exciting,” Marsman said.
The homecoming weekend concluded with the Saturday evening dance. This year, the students enjoyed the dance and had fun with their friends and dates. The student council that helped plan the dance, and strived to ensure all the students had fun and a memorable night. Kaelyn Baldwin, a freshman at the high school, enjoyed her evening dancing with her friends and meeting new people.
“I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and going out of my comfort zone just to hang out with people,” Baldwin said.
Those who participated in the dance were able to be themselves and enjoy the amazing music. Rhianna Stinson, a senior at the high school who has attended (all four) four homecoming dances, enjoyed this year the most and was impressed by this years theme.
“It [the dance] was really, really good. I think this was, by far, one of my favorite ones that they did,” Stinson said.
The homecoming weekend this year was a memorable one. Several students shared that they had an unforgettable experience and even some of the staff recall enjoying their time together. Homecoming is one of the best events to attend at the high school for the students because it brings people together, helps create new memories, and shows school pride.
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