Jordan Neperud and Natalie Zepf
Staff Reporters
10 November, 2021
Bright lights and even brighter smiles, this Homecoming will go down in history.
After a long year and half, Homecoming returned to Atholton on October 30th. Traditionally Homecoming took place in the gym. Due to COVID restrictions, the dance was relocated to the football stadium. Although there were some complaints, everyone is happy that Homecoming was able to take place this year.
The day was filled with activities including: the Powder Puff Game, Parade, Homecoming Football Game, and Dance.
“[I liked] being able to see friends and just have fun, especially after a lot of long weeks of work and stuff at school. Having that time to unwind was really nice,” said Folajinmi Awofeso, a senior at Atholton.
The day started with the Powder Puff game, a bloody battle between the junior and senior girls, which was won by the seniors.
This was followed by a parade showcasing the extracurriculars of AHS. Mari Bonilla, a JROTC cadet and sophomore at Atholton said, “We put a lot of effort into it [the parade]. We actually practiced for months and months to get to this point.” The entire day was filled with Atholton’s colors. Students, staff, and families showed up to the parade and game with their Raider pride. The school grounds were filled with a sea of green. All four grades had a float along with the varsity cheerleading squad, POMS, the actors for Atholton’s production of Macbeth, and the varsity football team. With the parade starting things off on a good note it was no surprise the football game was just as fun.
The Homecoming football game was played and won victoriously, with the final score being 28-19. The Raiders crushed Mount Hebron while the Atholton community cheered on. “I had fun at the game with my friends,”said Eva Mendoza, a sophomore at Atholton, “The halftime show was exciting and it was a good game because our team won.” Once the game ended the football field was cleared off, cleaned and decorated for the dance to take place just three hours later. And after a successful dub for Atholton that day, everyone at the dance was hyped up and ready to party!
Students in dresses and suits filled the football stadium. A mosh pit of students danced to the playlist selected by the DJ. Other kids played Super Smash Bros on the twenty-one foot inflatable screen. Everyone enjoyed the copious amounts of candy and bundt cakes provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes. Overall, it was a day filled with student centered activities. The stadium was filled with Raiders of all ages along with notable staff members, such as Mr. Stuppy, The SGA advisor and organizer of Homecoming. The dance sold over a thousand tickets and the previous spirit week was full of participating students. Sitara Canada, a freshman at Atholton, said the dance was “very fun” despite the less than pleasant weather. Unfortunately it was a cold night with some on and off rain. However, everyone attending had a good time, including the teachers.
“I was very thankful that I got to be a part of the dance and chaperone,” said Mr Douglas, an English teacher at AHS.
All leftover funds from Homecoming will go to future school wide events. According to Mr. Stuppy, Homecoming creates a budget for future events like field trips and Staff Appreciation.
The dance floor eventually turned back into a football field. Students ran and shoved as much candy from the snack bar into their purses and pockets as possible, and the night came to a close.
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