By Stephen Twentyman (October 30, 2003)

The seniors once again won the annual Homecoming Spirit Week competition, which concluded this weekend with the Homecoming Dance and football game.

Friday’s dress-up theme was the ever-popular Red and White Day, in which students school-wide wore exactly that. The more interesting competition came after school, when the seniors trounced the junior powder puff football team by a score of 14-0, with touchdowns coming from Becky Roa (along with a two-point conversion) and Alison Penland. The win netted the seniors spirit points, something they’d repeat multiple times later that evening.
 

The pep rally featured a dazzling array of inter-class competition, most of which was won by the Class of 2004. While the students cheered from the stands, the cheerleaders went through their entire repertoire and the competitors geared up for their challenges. Senior Robby Clipper and sophomore Kristen Schwind dominated the arm wrestling competition, shellacking all competition en route to glory. The tug-of-war game was hardly a close competition; the seniors won seemingly seconds after it started. In an interesting and maddening twist, the pie-eating format completely changed as it was declared that the winner would be the first to blow a bubble with a piece of gum hidden in the cream pie. Mishap after mishap ensued, but a non-senior winner was eventually declared. Several other competitions took place, including a relay race (won by the seniors thanks to Loreto Martinez’s clutch free throw) and a noise competition, and the Class of 2004 ended up on top when it was all said and done.

Senior Joseph Mauro had the honor of escorting  Arya Namboodiri, who was the primary  planner  of  the Homecoming Dance.

Saturday morning finally came, and Arya Namboordiri and her Homecoming crew rose bright and early to transform the Mustang Café into Hollywood. Mr. Dickson’s hand-carved eight-foot styrofoam horses guarded the entrance, and another work of dazzling craftsmanship provided the DJ’s backdrop, as Greg Corbino sacrificed much time and effort to construct a 25-foot long cityscape. The famous Hollywood hills adorned another wall of the dance hall.

Coach Horn’s Mustangs beat the Clarke County Eagles 24-7 in the Homecoming football game to bring their record to an impressive 6-2. The Homecoming Court was presented to the crowd at halftime, with Evan Hamme and Kory Lloyd emerging as the king and queen. 

The long and spirited week finally culminated in the dance on Saturday night at 8:00 PM. As well-dressed ladies and gentlemen filtered in over the red carpet, a tuxedoed Frank Marino rushed up to interview the stars and welcome them to the show while paparazzi snapped photographs. The introductions were broadcast into the dance floor so students could see what famous personalities were entering the building. Over the gala’s last 15 minutes, a montage of stills from the evening was shown to the audience, and then the stars dispersed into the night, spirit week finally done.

Senior class sponsor Michael Hoover remarked, "This is one of the greatest dances in school history, far and away our most high-tech. I’d like to give credit to Edmund Jong for taking care of the still pictures and John Tyson for coordinating the video feeds."