Neon lights shine bright: OH HoCo info

The start of the OH Homecoming season is a great way to make wonderful memories through various events like the parade, spirit week, powder puff football game, hallway decorations, pep rally, and Friday night football game.

“Homecoming is all about creating wonderful memories, having fun at school, and doing things that you don’t typically get to do,” said OH Social Worker and Student Council Advisor Jacob Cafaro.

On Sat., Sept. 21, OH will hold the 2024-25 Homecoming Dance in the OH auxillary gym. The dance will run from 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm. To attend, students must purchase a $25 ticket on Five Star before Thurs., Sept. 19. There will be a variety of food trucks, music, various games, and activities in which all students may participate.

OH Social Studies teacher and Student Council Co-Sponsor Anne Sweeney said, “[OH Homecoming] s a big thing! Come out and enjoy things like powder puff, [put up] hall decorations, make sure you go to the pep rally!” Sweeney added that the pep rally is “the best way to get involved during Homecoming Week … just participate!“ She encouraged students to bring their friends and enjoy the experiences. 

Students looking to bring an outside guest to the Homecoming Dance must pick up a form at the OH Dean’s Office before Sept. 13 in order to get a pass. All students are welcome to attend the dance.

Homecoming week kicks off this Sun., Sept. 15, with the Homecoming Parade at 3:00 pm flowing through downtown Oswego.

“A lot of clubs and teams get a float, and then we go downtown Oswego, throw candy out, and see all the little kids and fans cheer,” said Cafaro.

On Mon., Sept. 16, Homecoming Spirit Week begins with Twin Day.  Students are encouraged to find a friend and dress in the same outfit. 

Tues., Sept. 17 is Student/Teacher Swap Day. Wed., Sept. 18 is the traditional Class Colors Day. Freshmen are to dress in blue, sophomores wear yellow, juniors dress in green, seniors will dress in red, and staff wear orange. 

Thurs., Sept. 19 brings a new theme to the week’s lineup: Jersey Shore. Students are to wear a jersey or tropical gear to show their Homecoming pride. Finally, on Fri., Sept. 20, students end the week with Panther Pride by wearing the school colors: orange and blue. 

“I feel like it’s going to be a huge thing this year. We are trying to get more students to come out to more homecoming events, so we’ll be doing more advertising. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Sweeney said.

Wednesday’s powderpuff football game is is a tradition for senior and junior students to come together to play flag football. According to the senior team members, it is a fun school event that students look forward to every year.

”I’m …on the team, and I think it would be really great if everyone could come and share support for girls playing football,“ senior and Student Council Vice President Makenzie Benz said. “I think it’s also just really fun to go to this event and feel the energy of the crowd.” 

Thursday’s hallway decoration contest, a huge hit each year, runs from 2:30 pm until 4:00 pm. Student Council encourages students to bring their friends and compete with other grade levels to decorate the hallways in class color-themed spirit decorations.

“We do a hallway decoration contest between the grades, [during] which a lot of people have fun, staying after school and decorating,” Cafaro said.

Fri., Sept. 20 is a thriller day, involving the Homecoming Pep Assembly and the football game. The dance team will perform at the assembly, and during halftime of the game, a special performance by the seniors will occur.

“Everyone should wear blue and orange because when we go to [the] assembly, everyone kind of likes those colors and it just really brings the whole school together right before [the] Homecoming [dance],” Benz said.

Sweeney encourages all students to get into the spirit during the Homecoming Pep Rally. “That’s the best way to get involved during homecoming week,” she said.

Saturday hosts the last highlight of the week: the Homecoming Dance, where there will be various food trucks, games, and music. 

“We [will] also have the field house open, where we have a lot of different kinds of games, like bags. We usually have… a selfie station, where you could have different backgrounds. We’ve done that in the past, which has been a lot of fun,” Cafaro said.

Homecoming occurs only once a year for all students to attend. As Benz said, “I really recommend going at least to Homecoming Dance because I think it’s such a big part of the high school experience. I think it’s enjoyable to have fun, get dressed up, and hang out with your friends.”