Greatest Homecoming on Earth
SMCHS students to clown around during Homecoming week.
Oct 21, 2014
Buses were full, girls made last minute beauty appointments, and boys frantically tied to find a tie that matched their date’s dress color. It was Homecoming week, the week of Oct. 6-11.
The spirit days kicked off the festivities, leading into a rally full of entertaining guests and games, and then: game time. The varsity football team competed against our rival, Jserra. And in the middle of it, our Homecoming queen was crowned. Last but not least, after a week of anticipation, it was time for the dance itself and the crowning of our Homecoming king. The theme of the 2014 dance was ‘Cirque du Soleil’, or as ASB had dubbed it: ‘Cirque du Santa Margarita’.
The Spirit Week
October 6, 2014: No School
To kick off Homecoming week, SMCHS students got to sleep in and enjoy a relaxing Monday holiday. Thank you, Fall Recess.
October 7, 2014: Twister Tuesday
The student body seemed to have gotten dressed in the dark. With a blindfold on. And with the fashion sense of a spoon. It was clash day, and outfits were a joke. Patterns, colors and fabrics were mixed together, layered and worn with pride as the Eagles demonstrated their school spirit.
A food truck was present at both lunches, courtesy of ASB, that handed out delicious fresh-baked funnel cakes dusted in powdered sugar.
October 8, 2014: Wear Pink Wednesday
In respect for those who have fought, are fighting and will fight the battle against breast cancer, Eagles decked out in pink. October is national breast cancer awareness month, and the campus was filled with pink clothing and accessories.
ASB tied in the circus theme by providing pink cotton candy to spirited students at lunch. Students also had the opportunity to sign cards in memory of the five students who passed away last week in a tragic car accident. Signatures of many SMCHS students in every color decorated the cards.
October 9, 2014: ‘Barnum & Bailey’ Twin Thursday
SMCHS saw double on Thursday. Pairs or groups of students dressed in sync with one another. Barnum and Bailey were the two men who ran the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1882. In 1907, the Ringling Brothers Circus purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus, merging the two to create “the greatest show on earth”.
Many students participated in the karaoke was provided at lunch. ASB President Jack Jennison got on stage and performed an Elton John song, repping the music of the man on his shirt. Towards the end of the second lunch period, an up and rising SMCHS sensation got on stage.
Joe Huang, SMCHS junior otherwise known as ‘joeridebike’, who performed Oct. 8 after school in the lunch shelter, made an appearance yet again. Students crowded around the stage, and Snapchat went crazy with videos of this sensational rapper.
October 10, 2014: Blue and Gold
The traditional school colors of blue and gold flooded the lunch shelter on Friday. The anticipation for the rally was clearly present in the classrooms throughout the day. Students waited for the rest of their Friday to finish up as the cards for the deceased students were still being signed.
The Rally
The gym was packed. The lights dimmed. Students took their phone flashlights out and waved them back and forth in the dark until a rope dancer suddenly emerged from a box hanging from the ceiling. Students watched in awe as she twisted amongst the ropes. Then a jumping joker came out to bounce around the gym floor.
After the circus-themed opening performance, senior Rebecca Thomson and sophomore Dylan Field entered onto the stage to introduce this year’s Homecoming court. And then the games began. Senior princess Alex Heinen and prince AJ Belmont were chosen from the Homecoming court to compete in the bobbing for apples that ended with a victory for Belmont. With their heads soaking wet, the princess and prince headed off stage to make way for the cheer and song performances.
Each were impressively put together, as always, and were choreographed to songs with a circus theme. Thomson and Field reentered the spotlight to introduce the spirit slide, which showed pictures of the most spirited students from the spirit days. After the short slideshow, it was time for the class competition.
Three students from each grade were selected to participate in a hectic balloon popping, wheel-barrel running, pie-eating relay race. The junior class emerged successful and as ASB cleaned up the whipped cream pie mess, the dance team performed a spectacularly choreographed routine for the students.
Senior ASB Athletic Commissioner Andrew Mendonca took the microphone to deliver a pep talk to the students, congratulating them on their show of spirit and challenging them to bring their best to the game against JSerra. Principal Ray Dunne then followed up with a speech on JSerra’s efforts in trying to model themselves after us, yet they will never be able to become a true Eagle. To close up his speech, Dunne engaged the students in the traditional, “It’s a great day to be an… EAGLE!”
After a brief ‘thank you’ from football head coach Rick Curtis for the support from the Eagle’s Nest, a select few SMCHS teachers took the stage and performed a dance to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and “Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake and Lil’ John.
The rally was wrapped up with a spotlight on our Alma Mater.
The Game
SMCHS Eagles and Jserra Lions: the ultimate high school rivalry. Both schools always look forward to making their fans proud by bringing home a win. In a showdown that is always highly anticipated, the game was not in favor of SMCHS Eagles this year. Although the varsity football team played a hard-hitting game, the Eagles fell to the Lions with a score of 28-35.
The Eagle’s Nest and the Jserra student section faced off throughout the duration of the game. The Eagles played well on the field, but were down late in the game. The varsity team rallied together towards the end, making the fight a close one.
Even though the Eagles didn’t come home with a win, they played valiantly. The Eagles would redeem themselves the following week with a dramatic win over Orange Lutheran.
The Half-time Show
After numerous practices, it was time for the half-time show. After the cheer, song and dance teams performed the same routines they did for the rally, the seniors entered the spotlight.
With the help of dancers and seniors Berit McLaughlin, Maddy Davin and Avery Lewis, the seniors were finally ready to perform. McLaughlin choreographed the dance, made the music and helped teach the students the moves all with her foot in a boot.
Even though the performance wasn’t as in sync as cheer, song and dance’s performances, the seniors who participated had an amazing time. Then came the time for the crowning of the queen.
Seniors Alexandra Heinen, Carrington Holman, Noelle Kendall and Shaya Rees, all dressed in beautiful white gowns, were escorted by men on stilts to their fathers, who then led them down a red carpet. After a butterfly woman, also part of the circus crew helping SMCHS this weekend, came out with the crown, it was placed upon the well-deserving head of Heinen. With big smiles, hugs and cheers, the queen and princesses retreated from the field to return to watching the game.
The Dance
Limos, party buses, and just plain ol’ cars arrived at SMCHS to let students proceed to their dance. The girls waited in a long line to get past the gate and into the dance, while the boys breezed through and waited for their dates inside the courtyard. Once everyone was admitted into the dance there wasn’t a moment of boredom. You could choose to go into the Moiso Pavilion Gym and dance to DJ Nick’s music while watching rope performers above you, or you could mingle in the Grotto with your friends.
A photobooth, carnival games and a plethora of treats made the evening all the more enjoyable. Throughout the night, SMCHS students were able to witness the performances of the rope dancers, a fire breather, a juggling clown, a ring dancer and a jumping joker.
With a little over an hour left of the dance, the Homecoming king was crowned. Seniors Carlos Alvarez, AJ Belmont, Tom Blye and Jack Jennison all waited on stage for the big news along with the Homecoming princesses and queen. Senior Cassidy Tollner crowned Jennison as the 2014 Homecoming king. Jennison and Heinen then danced to a Christina Perri song with big smiles and funny dance moves.
SMCHS students’ Homecoming week came to a close at 11:30 p.m. that night when the dance ended, but the memories made during the week will forever be remembered.