While the last relics of Homecoming spirit are slowly dying away, the staff of Lasso Online reflects on what Homecoming meant—or did not mean--to them.

Katie Rosenberger, Senior

I have never been an active member of this school. I am the first to admit that for the first three years I was in George Mason High School, I had little to no class or Mustang pride. I never went to the car washes; I never baked anything for the bake sales, and I could care less who won the football game. During spirit week, I never stayed after for hall decorating. I rarely went to the annual pep rally; and when I did, I would only cheer halfheartedly, and I always tried to do as little as possible to get counted for the spirit days. This year, however, I was on every Homecoming decorating committee possible. I spent over $100 on clothes for spirit week (not just for myself, but also for friends), and the pep rally was a week ago, and I’m just now starting to get my voice back. At the time it felt natural. Screaming louder than I had ever screamed before, until my lungs were literally empty, felt like the right thing to do – in fact, the only thing to do. At the time I never even thought of slacking off and merely mouthing the VICTORY chant as I had in years past.

There’s something about senior year, some great phenomenon that takes over when you realize that this is your last chance. This is the last time to get things right, to do things well. It was crushing when I would dress up for a spirit day, work until the very last minute to adequately decorate the hall, or even cheer my loudest for the girls’ arm wrestlers at the pep rally, and the seniors would lose. Looking back, my senior pride was absurdly abnormal for a class where the status quo has been to do as little as possible, as often as possible, but this year the seniors really pulled together and triumphed.
 

Kristin Sommers, Senior
This year was the first year that I dressed up for every single day during spirit week. I felt like I had to, because the seniors had to win. The Powderpuff game was so much fun and I felt like our class was finally coming together. I had such an awesome time at the dance. I think because I am a senior that even now I’m thinking, "Well, it’s the last time for all this and I better make what I can of it and just have fun."
 
 
 
 

Michael Miller, Senior
"Does anybody have a pair of scissors?" "We need the tape over here!" "Can someone help hold this up?" These were the three most commonly heard phrases at the seniors’ hall decorating last Monday. Everywhere, people were racing around, trying to beat the clock and still have a hallway that fit our vision of Zoot Suit Riot. Personally, I was amazed at how well we did with the limited amount of available materials. This was the largest amount of people that I’d seen come and unite as a class to put up the hallway decorations. When the final strand of lights was put up and the last of the trash taken away, I felt a sense of pride, in myself and in my fellow classmates.
 

Rabita Aziz, Sophomore
In my opinion, Homecoming week was very fun. I had a good time. The best part of Homecoming week was the dance. I had lots of fun dancing with my friends. I especially liked the different music themes and costumes. It was very amusing to see a lot of non-ghetto people dressed up as Nelly and other different hip-hop artists. I thought this year’s Spirit Week was better than last year’s, because the themes were more interesting.
 
 
 
 

Rebecca Roa, Junior
During this, my junior year here at George Mason, it was brought to my attention what the Homecoming festivities were intended for. To my knowledge, Homecoming was intended for student alumni of George Mason. Yet this year there were near-to-no alumni at the annual Homecoming football game, Powderpuff game, and girls’ basketball game. I think that there needs to be more of an off-campus advertisement for the Homecoming to keep the tradition alive.
 
 
 
 

Sara Kaplow, Senior
13-0. That score, the final score of the Powderpuff football game may be argued, disputed, and forgotten, but it meant a lot to me at the time, and still does a week later. For me, it was more than a game. As a senior, I knew we were expected to win, but to do that, we had to practice. So on Saturday afternoons starting in late August, I found myself spending my time with a group of girls (and a few male coaches); many of whom I had scarcely talked to in my three years at GM. We came together, particularly as the game drew near, to show the pride of our class, something we’d never done with much success. But we won. Despite poor attendance at practices, fewer players than the juniors, and a divided class, we still managed to win. I may never talk to some of those people again, but I will always be proud of what we accomplished and how we came together at the end. 
 

John Ruffino
I enjoyed myself very much on the night of Homecoming, but I was bothered by one thing mainly – the theme. Who chose it? What prompted it? And why didn’t everyone agree on it? The main question I asked myself about Homecoming was - Why Zoot Suit Riot? Who chose this? After walking and talking with many seniors, the simple majority disliked the idea and wondered where it came from.
 
 
 
 
 

Chris Campanelli
Homecoming is based on a week of building pride and unity, leading up to an intense football game. The dance is meant to be a celebration of the game. However, at George Mason, Homecoming has come to have a different meaning, more associated with hall decorations and swing dancing than football. The pep rally and spirit week activities seem to have had more participation than the football game itself. Although our football team is not the best this year, it is a shame that we value flamboyant activities more than football. The football game this year was a success, as we triumphed over the Bulldogs of Goochland 12-6 in one of the warmest Homecoming games in many years. However, it seemed that this year’s turnout was less than in my freshman year, when the game was on a blistering cold day at Marshall High School. Is this the beginning of the end for the true values of Homecoming, or is this just a stage, in which our values seem to be inversed? I do not deny that I enjoyed Homecoming, but I feel like we should pay more attention to what Homecoming was built around – the football game. If we forget the football game, Homecoming simply becomes a series of activities and a dance. I don’t mean to have a bias, but after-school activities and a dance will not be able to hold this tradition together for long. Don’t forget the core. Don’t forget the game.
 

Tony Clark, Senior
This year, Homecoming took on a different meaning for me. In the past, I have not been thrilled that it was Homecoming, but I did not mind celebrating it. This year I did not feel this way at all. When the first spirit day started, I did not feel the anticipation that I had felt the years before. Later that day it dawned on me that I did not really know what Homecoming was about. I thought about it and the best thing that I could come up with, was that it was about a football game. Since I was not on the football team this year it had even less impact on me. I think that Homecoming is overrated. As a freshman I remember that we had plans and would get all dressed up, but by senior year it seems like just another dance. People may say it is about school unity, but honestly, how much time do we take to talk to people that we don’t know, even if it is Homecoming week? The school is so small that there is not a face that we don’t see every day anyway. School spirit is something that I think is becoming less and less important to students everywhere.
 

Andrea Genovese, Sophomore
Who can possibly forget that wonderful feeling of having no idea of what to wear for four whole days of school? I’m amazed by the idea that in two minutes, you can become a totally different person, to the extent of not needing to act like your own self—transforming your personality. I love the idea that on one week, a guy can dress in his sister’s pants, and mother’s shiny blouse, $13 Afro, painted chest hair, and still feel comfortable. This is the spirit of Homecoming. I love it!
 
 
 

Tammy Ashworth, Senior
I showed up at school at 7:47 last Saturday morning, ready to decorate the cafeteria for the Homecoming Dance that night. I was a little nervous when I saw the barren cafeteria, and a few of my classmates scattered throughout, ambling confusedly through the halls with potted plants and musical instruments. What had I signed up for? We’d never get ready in time for the dance. But I had underestimated my own class’s potential. This year would be different. This year, we were an army of seniors; ready to go to battle armed with nothing more than blue and white crepe paper and some Christmas lights. The same spirit that had been building up all spirit week, that helped us win the Powderpuff Game and the pep rally, also brought us together to turn the cafeteria into an amazing 1940s swing club. It’s amazing what you can do when you have so little, and yet so much.