A Week To Remember: Erie High’s Homecoming
September 24, 2021
The stands shake, and the air is filled with a buzz of excitement.The cheerleaders lead the student body, doing their best to be heard over the roar of the crowd. Students jump wildly, all yelling in tandem, “Do it! Do it! Do it! Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop!” The pep rally is a success.
Homecoming is a time filled with energy, and as it approaches the school is kicking into high gear. From pep rallies to parades to football games, students from every grade are coming together to have fun. All these events the school is hosting are going to lead up to the Homecoming dance.
Homecoming is not something planned overnight, however, and Student Government has been working together with administration to create a fun-filled experience for students since spring of 2021. While they may not have complete control over everything, they do their best to ensure students have their voices heard.
This year, StuGo chose the homecoming theme to be Mardi Gras. Dario Hinojosa, the Student Body President, says that, “[W]e just decided to go with Mardi Gras because… [it’s] not just about dressing up and dancing, it’s also about that huge Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans… [and] we wanted to incorporate that into the homecoming parade.”
The same statement could also be applied to homecoming because it also has more significance to Erie High than just being a dance. Hinojosa says that, “Homecoming is about school spirit. I think this event is going to be one of the most spirited events of the year… We rally together to support our football team… and we just feed off of energy that way.”
The importance of being able to have a good time with the community is not lost on school administration, either. Matthew Buchler, Erie High’s principal, says “I think kids work so hard at this school. They’re involved in so many things… So if they’re working hard like that, they also need to have some fun.”
The biggest way the school is going to go about this is spirit week, which starts Sept 7th. Students are asked to dress up in fun and expressive ways, following the theme for each day. Monday is Safari day, Tuesday is Prep v. Goth, Wednesday is Alien Space Day, Thursday is 70s v. 90s, and Friday is Black out.
Hinojosa wants everyone to know that “If you don’t [dress up], your friends won’t do it either… You’ve got to be the first one to do it, and then everyone else will follow.”
The competition to be the best dressed is often close, since the social studies teachers will often go all out.
This will build up to Friday, Oct 1st: a Pep Rally, a parade, and the homecoming football game.
Hinojosa says that he expects the homecoming football game to have, “the biggest turnout we’ve had at a football game yet… because this is probably one of the biggest season games.” So make sure to arrive early to get a parking spot.
At the end of homecoming week will be the dance. It starts at 7 pm on the football field, and will go until 10 pm. The only way to get in is by having bought an online ticket. There will be momento tickets for students who want to have a keepsake. They will not get you into the dance, however.
Homecoming week is the time of the year that brings school spirit and community to Erie High School. It is something that has been built up by each student to make Erie a more fun place to be. It is a time for students to have fun while staying safe.
