Sunday- Boys volleyball Powderpuff On Sunday, 29 of Oct., Herrin High School kicked off Homecoming week with Powderpuff, where girls volleyball members coach any male student who signs up to play a class-against-class volleyball game. With the juniors facing off against the freshman, the juniors won, making their way into the final game;. At the same time, the seniors beat the sophomores, leading them to defeat the juniors in the championship game.
This year saw a change, as normally after the boy’s volleyball game, varsity football players would teach girls who signed up how to play seven-on-seven flag football. Because of field conditions due to Hurricane Helene, the girl’s powderpuff games had to be moved to Oct. 20. Following girls’ powderpuff, HHS was to hold a bonfire at the football field, but it was also moved to the new date.
Monday- USA Day (red, white, and blue) Walking into school on Monday, I could tell that many students participated in USA Day, the first day of spirit week. Some students went all-out, while others did their best by trying to find a shirt with a hint of red, white, and blue. I saw lots of stars and stripes — from overalls to socks to Ms. Lach dressed as Benjamin Franklin, students at HHS were showing their patriotic spirit.
Tuesday- Olympic Day (jersey) Jersey day is a popular spirit week day at HHS. On Tuesday, students sported their favorite professional athletes. Some dressed in their team gear, and a few even dressed up as a friend who was an HHS athlete. This is a very easy theme for students to participate in, and so many did. With that being said, I was worried that there wouldn’t be any students trying to dress as an “Olympian.” But I was wrong. I saw students sporting Team USA gear and heard medals clanking around people’s necks as they walked through the hallway, dressed as Olympians.
Wednesday- cowboys vs Surfers A “Surfers” day is almost always incorporated into our spirit weeks at HHS, and this year’s was a fun spin on the usual. Adding the cowboy element to it only boosted participation and promoted the theme. A few students took it as far as sporting a swimsuit over their regular clothes and decorating themselves in leis and snorkel masks.
Thursday- BBQ Dad vs Soccer Mom Personally, I think BBQ Dad vs. Soccer Mom Day was my favorite themed day. Many students switched up the gender roles as most female students dressed as BBQ Dads and a few male students came dressed up as moms ready to attend a soccer game. For this day, we saw lots of baggy shorts and shirts adorned with dad jokes. The soccer moms wore their best athletic wear, draped with a belt bag and a Stanley cup in hand.
Thursday- Coronation On Thursday night, everyone piled into Memorial Gym for the 2024 Homecoming Coronation. High court and honored guests were escorted out by fall sports athletes at HHS. This year, Saylor Ray (12) is the 2024 Homecoming Queen and Sophie Schramm (12) is the 2024 Homecoming Maid-of-Honor.
Friday- orange black and camo In honor of our school, we always round out spirit week with orange, black, and camo day. Students come dressed in their best attire, representing the school, ready for the short day of classes and the pep rally, ultimately ready to get into the full swing of Homecoming festivities.
Friday- Pep rally Following the half-day classes, all of the students piled in Memorial Gym to get ready to crown Mr. Homecoming. This year, Herrin High’s Mr. Homecoming was Adam King (12). Following our Mr. Homecoming competition, we received a special routine from the HHS Dance and Flag Team. After that, the HHS Pep Club put on their version of Dress to Impress, where the senior members of varsity football were dressed up in gowns and make-up and were presented to students.
Friday parade- At 3 p.m., the town gathered along Park Avenue, ready to watch the 2024 Homecoming Parade. Many businesses participated with their floats and floats from the Herrin Middle School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel sports teams. Each HHS class decorated a float following certain guidelines. This year, the freshman class decorated a tailgate-themed float, while the sophomores took us to New York, the juniors took us to Hawai’i and the seniors went to the Wild West. The freshman class won overall best float.
Friday- football game Friday night, the Homecoming festival came to an end, leading us into the dance on Saturday. At 7 p.m., the Tigers kicked off a game against the Massac County Patriots. A 28-0 win led the Tigers to their first win of the season. At halftime, the band gave a wonderful performance while we saw select floats from the parade one last time.
Saturday- dance On Saturday, Oct. 5, Herrin High threw open its doors for the 2024 Homecoming Dance from eight p.m. till 11 p.m.. With the Student Government having decorated the commons and the memorial gym in all things Americana, the dance fell into full swing with a DJ, a punch and snack table, and students in their best dress for the night. With music ranging from Chappel Roan to Toby Keith, Homecoming was a successful pinnacle to the preceding spirit week in the eyes of HHS students and staff with its energy and spirit.
