The week of October 7 was Homecoming week at Panther Creek. Each day of the school week had a theme and we saw lots of participation throughout the student body.
Steven Spencer, a junior, said that he “enjoyed wearing all these different outfits”, referring to his white shirt to show his on-theme outfit for the White Out homecoming football game.
Something lots of students and staff alike look forward to is the rise in school spirit during Homecoming week. For a school that has been trending downwards in school spirit the past few years, 2024’s Homecoming Week saw a pleasant surprise in student participation.
The day of the football game had a lot of people attempting to predict the score. Some were optimists, like Asha Spencer, who predicted a close win, as well as staff member Mr. Hilsenroth, who settled on a prediction of a 24-17 win for PC.
Some students, like Niah Kindell and Steven Spencer, were less hopeful about PC’s chances. “I think we’re gonna lose… by like one or two touchdowns,” Kindell said in her Friday afternoon interview.
Steven gave a similar response, but added that “it’s okay, we have to have Catamount pride. Either way I still support my Catamounts.” Steven is a member of Panther Creek’s reputable marching band, and supports the football team both literally and figuratively in this sense.
Panther Creek did ultimately lose the game, but it was one of the most highly anticipated events regardless, as Kindell also said that “seeing all the school spirit and how many people show up for our team” was one of the best parts of Homecoming week.
The Homecoming Dance itself was on October 12, the day after the football game. This year’s theme was The Golden Hour. Steven said that he thought it was a “great concept” that was “very creative”, and while gold isn’t the easiest color to shop for, Kindell “tried hard to find a dress to fit the theme.” And she wasn’t the only one; many students were sporting golden dresses, ties, and outfits as they arrived at the event.
Asha Spencer summed it up perfectly: “[The Homecoming dance is] just a night where you can have a ton of fun with your friends and throw all your worries out of the window even though you’re still at school”, which is really what homecoming is all about.
The dance isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s all right. Kindell, for example, said she prefers the week leading up to the dance over the dance itself, and with the amount of school spirit at the football game the day before, it isn’t hard to see why.
Mr. Hilsenroth mentioned Homecoming’s ultimate purpose, which is to foster a “positive culture” going forward into the new school year. With the amount of participation seen from the school as a whole during Homecoming week, we hope to be able to carry this positive energy and school spirit with us as we continue our journey through the 2024-2025 school year.
