This year, I took more of the daunting task of planning the homecoming rally, and did my best to stay involved with our float. With junior year on my shoulders, you best believe I was stressed.

our float

Problems from last year with the float seemed to disappear:

We were always waiting a few hours because no one fulfilled their commitments to bring supplies. On the other hand, our skit group was questionably filled with drama and absence.

We were super productive this year.

We had people practicing, going over the skit in a classroom, and painting all on the float. We had supplies and food on deck, there was more pizza than ever.

Walking around, I enjoyed being yelled at the freshman to go away. Coincidentally enough, I bonded mostly well with them. I had fun conversations and commentaries with the sophomores, and overall got to bond with the underclassmen, who I rarely see now due to the split in fourth and fifth lunch.

At the homecoming game, right around halftime when they delayed the announcement of the float winners, the anxiousness intensified. I knew people who were shaking, not because it was cold, but because we wanted answers. Maybe it was our fault for thinking the sophomores were not a big threat, but the look on our faces when we got second. Everyone’s eyes continued to light up, and jaws dropped as the seniors got third.

…because I helped build this float… the seniors!

Everything seemed to be going in our favor this week. We were winning the lunchtime activities, getting compliments from everyone, and yes we all did a little bit of smack talking. It will bite me in the butt walking into my chemistry class Monday, but I am ready to suffer.

I don’t think many in my class have accepted defeat, but the least those judges can do is show us where we went wrong, so we know how to get better. I know how important closure is for many people, but that is something many usually never get.

All that being said, I will forever be grateful for our class’ hype and dedication to what we do. I wanted to help ease tensions between us and seniors, as they got third place. Our competitiveness got to the best of both our classes with booing, and overall negativity. I sent this Remind message to my class this morning, hoping to deescalate and to calm down:

I wanted to let everyone know that we’re all proud of the hard work and support towards our float. This past week has gone quick. I get that for the past three years, we’ve felt that we’ve always been robbed of something we deserved. Whether you were on the float or in the stands, just know our hard work did pay off because truly we gave them a show that many loved. Friday felt weird, but Monday might feel weirder, and it might feel like we all hate each other, but competition will do that to us. We may walk cap-and-gown together next year as seniors, but I ask that you stay respectful, and remember that together, we are Titans.

I ended homecoming week by going to Dewars, and drinking my feelings out with a root-bear float with my friends.

The raging car ride, simp-interlude, and overall tiring mood back home made me want to make sure I didn’t forget these little details in this blog post.

the rally

As for the rally, one month in the making boiled down to one of the most enjoyable hours of my life. I had a blast with my rally-commissioner-in-crime, and we overall showed so much sprit.

I was a little panicked, as the band showed up ten minutes after we expected. I thought we were going to run out of time, but we just ran through with it. In my opinion, I had fun throwing out one liners, for example this one after the cheer dance:

I wish I could move like that.

I got panicked when the football team started screaming into the microphone, as the past four weeks of preparing has taught me to not do that.

I felt bad for the freshman at the rally, they were booed, and the only damage control I could do was be sarcastic, throw out a virtue, and hoped it sat well with the audience, because I knew it did with the admin:

Wow, way to be respectful, Titans!

The royalty game went well, but the some minor confusions, and weird way of me executing the game makes me need to go back to the drawing board a little bit.

The teacher skits were the best. I don’t think the audience was tuned-in when we did the Baby-Shark skit, but when we did the Brooklyn Nine-Nine skit when they sang, I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys, I hope they had a blast.

Everyone has told me good things about the rally. How it was handled better, and how it ran better than last year. A lot of people had confidence in my partner and I, and through all the stress, it did become another blur, but it became another blur for the books!