Homecoming is a week-long high school event that most schools participate in. With this event comes a plethora of events that anyone in the community can participate in, but the work must be done before the fun can be had.
Throughout Homecoming Week, there are a variety of events for the community to participate in. One in particular is the bonfire. The bonfire’s purpose is to get everybody ready and excited for the events that follow, which is why it is always the day before the football game and parade.
The bonfire requires a significant amount of work and commitment from different groups. The Be More Kind Club is one such group that assists with the bonfire. The group’s leader, Spanish teacher Rebecca Moulton, plays a big part in setting up this tradition.
The cakewalk is a game at the bonfire where people walk around in a circle on pictures of treats and desserts. Similar to musical chairs, when the music stops, if the spot you landed on is called, you can go over to the treat table and pick out a sweet reward. The entire treat table is funded with donations from local businesses and the community.
¨It makes me feel happy that it is a win for students and parents because the Be More Kind club gets more recognition,” said Moulton.
The event that follows the bonfire, that being the homecoming parade, is an event that takes place on Friday at the end of Homecoming Week. This parade allows Northwest High School to be more involved in the community.
History teacher Abby Tanner is in charge of handling the preparations for the parade.
“This is actually the busiest week because I have to figure out what order we are gonna structure the parade in,” said Tanner.
She works alongside the social media manager, Shanon Watts. Watts advertises by sending messages through social media to the community.
Many people, including students and staff members, offer to help guide traffic on the day of the parade. The road Northwest sits on, Van Horn Road, is temporarily closed, which ensures a safe route for the parade.
Tanner mentioned that Algebra teacher Valerie Alexander and Special Education teacher Judith Osterberg help with guaranteeing the court has cars for all of the royalty.
Following the events of the parade is the homecoming football game. Civics teacher Daikon Hiram is one of the coaches for the Northwest Mounties and looks forward to seeing how the team fairs against Coldwater this homecoming.
He and his fellow coaches meet on a Sunday evening to watch over their last game’s footage. From there, they come up with new strategies, game plans, and ideas to implement into their upcoming training regiment.
“Every game is a challenge,” said Hiram. “I know that sounds cliche, but it really is true.”
Last year was the first time in 12 years that Northwest was able to win a homecoming game, but despite this, Hiram is still feeling confident in his team’s abilities and their wits.
Through planning and teamwork, Hiram and his team can put on a football game that brings hundreds of Northwest community members to the stands.
“We have a lot of Northwest alumni come back,” said Hiram. “Having those players return is always so satisfying to see.”
Along with helping Tanner with the parade, Alexander helps prepare posters for the dance and also confirms that there is a Disc Jockey to perform music.
“I have been here till probably five o’clock for the last several days,” said Alexander. “But then at night when I go home, I am emailing people and calling people.”
She believes all the hard work everyone is doing at the moment will pay off tremendously. One of her goals is to make sure that the dance runs smoothly so that everyone can get in an orderly fashion and get right to having fun.
Through the tireless efforts of these individuals, the Northwest community can experience a plethora of interesting homecoming events that will leave a lasting impression every year.
