Many schools, including Freedom, celebrate Homecoming; a jubilation of the school year and the surrounding community. Homecoming usually consists of a football game, dance, parade and other festivities. On Sept. 28, the Homecoming parade featured both middle and high school soccer teams, cheerleaders and football teams from all levels of the school, plus the marching band. The parade, taking place on the main street of Freedom at 6:30 p.m., also featured the 2023 Homecoming court. The court rode in the backs of convertible cars provided by multiple donors.
Typically, the annual celebratory bonfire takes place after the Friday night football game. Since last year, however; the bonfire has taken place after the parade. At the bonfire, there were food trucks and a firework display for students, parents and Freedom area residents to enjoy.
Planning for the parade and bonfire festivities takes weeks of work. Gathering convertibles, food vendors, firewood palettes, fireworks and setting up dates and times takes a while. The festivities are thoroughly planned by multiple contributors, including Mr. Steven Mott and Ms. Maggie Lewis Specht.
On Sept. 29, the Homecoming pep rally occurred during the school day. High school, middle school and elementary school students attended, as the high school marching band and units performed Let it Be/Hey Jude. After the Homecoming court was announced, the traditional court dance began. This is a routine that has been practiced at the high school for years. During the dance, the omecoming court does a series of choreographed dance moves to a mashup of trending songs. It took the court several practices to prepare for the pep rally.
“The most enjoyable part for me about being on the court was getting to be with all my friends on it, as well as getting together to do the dance at the pep rally.It was an amazing feeling knowing people voted for me to be on the court and then getting to have a great time with my friends,” senior Cody Patterson said.
That night, the official Homecoming football game against Western Beaver kicked off. Prior to the game, the crowning ceremony took place. Seniors Brenna Mcilvain and Steffan Paganini were announced and crowned Homecoming queen and king. Although the Bulldogs lost, the Homecoming spirit remained with them the entire night.
To conclude the Homecoming festivities, the annual Homecoming dance transpired on Sept. 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. The dance was held in three rooms of the high school; cornhole and a photo backdrop were set up in the student center, food was served in the cafeteria and music and dancing took place in the gymnasium.
Overall, the Homecoming dance, football game and festivities delighted numerous students and staff members as a successful kickoff to the new school year. Homecoming as a whole celebrates the upcoming adventures of high school, as well as alumni from past years whose roots will always be in Freedom.