Gilroy High students rally up their spirit for the homecoming
game
By Betsy Avelar Staff Writer
Dozens of Gilroy High students showed their school pride Friday afternoon as they paraded through town celebrating the annual tradition known as Homecoming week, and instilled enthusiasm for the night’s football game. GHS students paraded down Princevalle Street to Sixth Street in floats honoring “King Kong,” “the Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Superman Returns” and “The Lion King.” Float choices mirrored this year’s homecoming theme ‘Lights Camera Mustang,” a Hollywood movie them.
To show their mustang pride, students literally drove blue, red, and white 2006 Ford Mustangs decorated with bows and glitter. They wore their class T-shirts, dyed their hair blue, and shouted with excitement.
The Marching band led the parade, wearing their royal blue tops and black bottoms while holding their shiny instruments and making cheerful music.
“It’s like a tradition, and you just got to follow the tradition,” said Linsey Kwong, who was up at 5am doing her hair for the big day.
The week-long event began Monday when students were encouraged to wear a shirt or sweater of the college they would like to attend. Tuesday was twin day, Wednesday was snow day, students dressed in clothes as if they were going snow boarding and Thursday was movie star day. Each class dressed according to their float: freshman dressed as characters in “The Lion King,” sophomores from the movie “Superman Returns,” juniors from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and seniors as characters from “King Kong.”
Friday consisted of a rally, a parade with the competing, themed floats represented by all four classes, the homecoming game and finally, the traditional homecoming dance which followed the game.
Kwong wasn’t the only junior up early that morning. Amanda Spellman was painting other student’s cars and faces to display their Junior pride.
“Getting all dressed up, getting spirited, it’s just representing your school as a whole,” she said. “Yesterday a lot of students dressed up, today a lot of people painted their faces.” She also painted her nose yellow and wore a self-designed T-shirt. Like Spellman, the Associated Student Body President Alexis Dalke also was thrilled about homecoming.
“It takes a lot of planning,” said the senior who also is a cheerleader. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much school spirit, such great floats, such great participation.”
While many of the leadership class and athletes were involved with the parade after school, Jennifer Alonso, Editor in Chief of the school’s literary magazine had a meeting planned that day.
“Personally I’ve never really been a big person for school spirit, but seeing my friends get all dressed up and have paint all over their faces and glitter everywhere, makes me feel happy for them.”
The 16-year-old Senior will graduate early from high school and she is already taking courses at Gavilan.
“I’m more academic-minded, so I don’t have time,” she said.
Though Alonso was not dressed in school colors, she did notice more student participation this year.
“I’ve seen a lot more school spirit now than I have in the past five years,” she said.
Freshman Mandi Jo Torres marched behind the sophomore float in her field hockey uniform.
“It’s fun watching the seniors getting excited and stoked about their last football homecoming,” she said.
Like Torres, other field hockey players, cheerleaders and many more students will be at the traditional homecoming game cheering on the football team.
