There are many traditions that thrive during homecoming week at Big Spring High School. These activities led up to the Homecoming Dance held at BSHS on Oct. 7, 2023. Firstly, the students showed their excitement with a “Spirit week.” Each day was assigned a theme, and the goal was to dress accordingly. From Monday to Friday, this year’s included “groutfit”, twin day, college apparel, class colors, and maroon and gold.
An annual Pep Rally is also held to recognize Fall sports during the week. This took place on Friday the sixth. Called by the Bulldog Marching Band, students from all four grade levels gathered in the Gymnasium to celebrate. It is tradition for the band to play “Land of 1000 Dances” through each hallway of the school when it is time for the students to leave class. Once seated, the Sports teams including Football, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Volleyball, Soccer, Cheer, and Marching band were introduced, applauded, and highlights from their seasons were announced. The athletes also participated in minute-to-win it style games. Yet another tradition and integral part of the event is the “Spirit bone” contest where grade levels compete to cheer the loudest in order to win the Bulldog-themed trophy. To conclude, the band played the Alma mater and serenaded the students with the song “Hey Baby” as they dismissed for the day.
Also on Friday was the Homecoming Football game held at the Big Spring Stadium versus the West Perry Mustangs. After the Marching Band performed their pre-game show, they were joined in the stands with former band members for alumni night. This allows graduates to reconnect with friends, experience another football game, and play stand tunes alongside the current marching band members. Then, as Homecoming Court was announced, each couple stood at centerfield awaiting the winners to be proclaimed. Former Homecoming queen and king, Faith Warner and Clayton Hetrick, crowned Rylee Koser and Max Long for the 2023 Homecoming dance. The football game then commenced, where a tough battle left the Bulldogs losing 38-35.
The actual dance has always been left in the hands of the Student Council, who plans and prepares for the Fall event each year. The Club advisers include teachers Courtney Rickabaugh, Lauren Hetrick, and Alexa Maier. When planning any large event, there are bound to be challenges. Rickabaugh has been overseeing the club for three years, and explains that “It’s a lot like planning a wedding – months of planning and preparation for one weekend’s events.” Maier gives specific examples of struggles, including chaperone sign-up as well as the sharing of important information such as dates and polls to the student body. She also shares that the dance consumes “about 2 months and some work over the summer” in order to plan. All of that hard work paid off this year, as the “Midnight Garden” themed dance commenced on Saturday the 7th. As an alumni of Big Spring, Maier remembers the themed decorations and the “mosh pit in the center of the dance floor”. These are examples of traditions that have remained constant. A change from past years is that snacks and drinks were available. She explains that decisions such as these are left “up to the planning committee each year.” Rickabaugh, who is also a graduate of Big Spring, recalls a lost tradition from when she was on Homecoming court herself: “We rode on the top of Corvettes down the hill from the MS, into the stadium, around the track, and to the 50 yard line, and then met our fathers, and were walked out onto the field.”
The tradition of Homecoming has undergone major and minor changes over the years, but the message has remained the same. Rickabaugh gives her thoughts, “Homecoming is an important event in American culture because it represents people coming home to their hometowns and home schools for a weekend of festivities.” She hones in on Big Spring, saying that the “community does a great job welcoming home Bulldogs and celebrating what’s great about our school, our town, and our students and graduates!” It is events such as spirit week, the pep rally, football game, Alumni Night, court, and the dance that truly allow this celebration to be possible.
