The week of Oct. 17 to 21 marked Spirit Week for Kingsway, and while students were thrilled to participate in all the exciting events that the week had to offer, the real fun came with the Hollywood-themed homecoming dance on Saturday night.
Spirit Week consisted of four different dress-up topics including pajama day, ties and tie dye day, red, white, and blue day, Adam Sandler day, and ended with class colors day on Friday.
“My favorite spirit day is definitely Adam Sandler day. If you don’t know how Adam Sandler dresses, he wears extremely baggy clothes, and we dress up like him. I already wear my clothes a little loose so it’s so fun to put on my dad’s clothes and a backwards hat,” said senior, Payton Riggs.
While Adam Sandler day was conspicuously a fan-favorite, many students also enjoyed class colors day. Each year on the Friday before homecoming, freshman wear white, sophomores wear grey, juniors wear red, and seniors wear black to differentiate themselves at the schoolwide pep rally. The events for this Fall’s pep rally included events like an eating contest, tug of war, and musical chairs.
Then after school on Friday, everyone piles into the bleachers for the highly anticipated homecoming football game. This year, it was a pink-out for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the game, The Pink Clover Foundation, a local charity that supports women with breast cancer, helped students to create comfort kits for their beneficiaries.
“I was most looking forward to the student section at the homecoming game,” said Riggs. “It gives you a great sense of school pride, and I think it encourages the players too,” she continued.
In addition to being a fan at the game this year, Riggs was also voted homecoming queen. This year, six girls and six boys were voted onto the homecoming court via a Google form that was sent out to the entire school. After the 12 people are announced, another form was sent in order to determine a winner.
This year’s court included: AJ Brennan, Adam Bretz, Darrell Brown, Gabby Carcione, Olivia Lehman, Olivia Lewin, Megan Lewin, Jake Mason, Kasey O’Rourke, Payton Riggs, Luke Wordelmann, and Zach Webb.
At the homecoming game, the entire court walked out, and the king and queen were announced. This year’s king was Luke Wordelmann and Payton Riggs was voted queen.
In addition to the opportunity to win the title of homecoming queen or king, the entire court gets to participate in a relay race at the pep rally and a float in Swedesboro Christmas parade.
This year’s dance started at 6 p.m. and ended at 10 p.m. Although if you ask any student, the festivities will take up the entire day. The student council executive board, led by President Shelby Dyer, spent the entire morning decorating the hallways to fit the Hollywood theme. They created movie posters, which had teachers’ faces photoshopped onto them and even rolled out a red carpet in the hall.
“My plans for homecoming consisted of going over my friend’s house, so that we can get ready together and take pictures,” said Julia Nestor, senior. While some students like Nestor have made simple, low-key plans, other find themselves spread a little thin.
“Homecoming weekend is always stressful,” said Riggs. “Friday after school I had soccer practice till around 4. Then, a Title IX anniversary ceremony for female athletes, then the homecoming game.”
“Saturday morning started bright and early with an 8:30 a.m. soccer game. Then I went home and go get my hair curled and makeup done,” she continued. Throughout her four years of high school, Riggs noted that she has had a soccer game every year on the same day of the dance.
Though Spirit Week and homecoming can be action-packed, the Dragon community would not trade it for the world. The decades-old tradition has become an invaluable reminder of community and excitement that makes high school memorable.
By Audrey Pachuta
One Response
I was at the game for homecoming and was so proud of my granddaughter Payton for being the homecoming court, let alone becoming the Homecoming queen! She is such a sweetheart inside and out! It was a wonderful event.