Tuesday, November 18, 2008

High School Homecomings and Cool Aid

I've been thinking a lot about High School Homecomings. Most likely because my WIP is wrapped around the high school homecoming season. 

Homecoming was a huge event in my tiny hometown. A court and official song were chosen. A parade rolled down Main Street. The Maple Shade Progress covered the festivities. And the days leading up to homecoming were filled with contests, hallway decorations, a pep rally, games, a sock hop, and the official presentation of the spirit stick. 

My memories of high school consist of tiny flashes of time. Homecoming is no exception. Important soccer games, hanging out with friends at the parade and football game, dances, good times, and songs flood my brain. Oh and I remember the football team kind of sucked. I don't think we actually won a homecoming game during my four years. Wait, maybe junior year. But, we always had fun afterwards. :) 

Did your school or does your school celebrate homecoming? If your school participates, what sticks out in your mind about homecoming? What did you or do you like about it? Dislike? Do you have a fave homecoming memory? 

My fave memory? A hilarious moment at the football game during my junior year. The skies opened up and it began to pour. My best friend and I were loyal Wildcat fans and stuck around with a few others to cheer in the stands. When I turned around to look at her, red water rolled down her face. 

Me: "Tam, red water is rolling down your face." 
Tammi: "Uh. It's Cool Aid." 
Me: "What?" 
Tammi: "I wanted red highlights this morning so I washed my hair with Cool Aid." 

Happy Homecoming Season and have a great day! :)  

28 comments:

Kelly Polark said...

Ha! Kool Aid in the hair! Our class was pretty spirited (always won the spirit weeks every Homecoming week), so Homecoming was super fun. I liked that it was an all week event. The spirit days when you had to dress a certain way, the Male Beauty Pageant, Friday was the Pep rally, Saturday was the parade in the morning, then the big game and the dance at night. Good times! I've been nostalgic lately as we are now planning a reunion for next year, so my class has been posting lots of old pics on our facebook group page and meeting to plan the event!

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Kelly! Sounds like a blast and exactly like MSHS. Except the male beauty pageant - love it. And our class won the stick a few times too. :) Are you going to post about the reunion? :)

Unknown said...

HAHA!! I knew girls who died their hair with Kool Aid, but I never had the nerve to do it myself. I was always rediculously conservative with my hair.

Homecoming was never a big deal where I'm from. It was just an excuse to party in a town that needed any excuse it could get. Most of the time people would skip the game and go straight to the party.

Kimbra Kasch said...

I don't remember much about my high school years - they were sooo long ago but my kids school did Powder Puff Football and it was hilarious. The boys dressed up as cheerleaders and did flips and acrobatics more than cheers and the girls played football.

Jessica Burkhart said...

As a former homeschooler, I always love hearing about homecoming! :)

TJ Brown said...

I had no spirit. I was TOO COOL for spirit:) But I did like going to the games:)
Teri

PJ Hoover said...

The red dress I wore to the dance. The corsage. Streamers in the gym. Big Pep rally. My parents at the game. People dressed up to watch the game. The princesses driving in convertibles around the field.
It was good times!

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Beth! Yup.. Our town too. Great parties. :) Ahh.. I never tried the Cool Aid trick either, probably because I had blond hair.

Hi, Kim! So cute.. :)

Hi, Jessica! :) This reminds me of something..

A few years ago during homecoming weekend in another town, this class was having a high school reunion at a bar we stopped at after a wrestling function. My hubby, our friend, and I decided to join in. We pretended to be part of the homecoming celebration. It was so fun and we even snuck into some pics. :) Ever do it?

Hi, Teri! Yes, tons of fun.

Hi, PJ! Sounds like a blast. :) A red dress. Do you have pics?

Anonymous said...

We had Homecoming. It was always a dance. Our football team the years I matriculated was really good, so we always won, but the dance was always Saturday night (the next day).

But no parades or anything. Too many high schools in the city for a bunch of different parades.

Justin The Teen Librarian said...

I once tried to dye my hair with Kool Aid. It didn't work. Instead, my scalp burned for hours. It was horrible.

Also, I love Kool Aid. Whenever I visit my parents in Pittsburgh my Mum always makes me a pitcher of Cherry or Grape Kool Aid cause she knows it is my favorite. It's the only time I drink it...

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Amy! Something to cheer about. :) Sorry, you didn't have a parade. :(

Hi, Justin! Me too.. And Grape is my fave. :) Sorry about the burn. Hmm.. I wonder where the Cool Aid hair dye idea originated.

Ray Veen said...

Yeah, those days were kind of a blur for me. I don't think I went to any homecoming games.

Maybe when I was a freshman. Dunno. Again... blur.

Stephanie J said...

To funny! I think my parents would have killed me if I tried the Kool Aid trick. I do remember a homecoming where it was sleeting and freezing. A pic of me from that game made it into the school newspaper and I looked like a drowned rat!

I got to see what small school homecoming is like versus big school and while the big school dances are better the small school spirit seems to be more prevalent. :)

Beth said...

haha, if i wanna dye my hair funky colors, i actually use dye...probably would be less expensive 2 use kool aid tho...homecoming's not huge at tech, partially since we have very little in the sports department. we do have a pep rally for the fall sports...according to my bro, very few upper classmen went to homecoming dance, tho i saw a couple. i was a little distracted, didnt notice. it was a fun night, tho too much dancing made me feel a lil sick...not as bad as my friend's cousin, who disappeared for quite a while to go throw up somewhere...

Anonymous said...

Haha, cute story. For homecoming, my high school has spirit week, homecoming parade (with a homecoming queen...no king), a big pep rally, and a football game. For some reason, we don't have a homecoming dance. I'm not sure why. :/

Angela said...

My daughter was a little bit upset that the pink washed out of her hair after going in the pool, leaving lighter stripes in her hair. Then she figured out she could just use a pink highlighter and get the same effect (I think it is even more neon).

Next time she plans to do green!

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Big Plain V! I know what you mean.. Some of my high school memories are like flashes of time. :)

Hi, Stephanie! That's an interesting comparison - big schools vs. small schools. :)

Hi, Beth! Your poor friend's cousin. :( Tech's pretty good at softball. :)

Hi, Tower of Books! That's interesting.. No king? I wonder why. :)

Hi, Angela! Love it! :)

Justin The Teen Librarian said...

"Hmm.. I wonder where the Cool Aid hair dye idea originated."

I have no idea, but it is a very horrible lie.

Carrie Harris said...

I one fainted during our homecoming parade. My drums were too heavy. :)

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Justin! :)

Hi, Carrie! You make me laugh every time. :)

Jen Fitz said...

I remember the beautiful girls of our Homecoming Court senior year. The girl I voted for didn't win, but her friend did. I think she was cheated ;)
I also remember working on the hallway decorations in the basement of that church next to WaWa. I had to do coloring because I was so bad at drawing. It was always a great time, and everybody seemed to work together really well.

Lenore Appelhans said...

I hardly ever went to any of the football games (our team was not worth watching) but the homecoming dance was very important. I only managed to go my junior year though.

Keri Mikulski said...

Hey, Fitz!! How are you?? Awe... :) Loved the decorating at the church. Good times.. I was a colorer too, never an artist. :) Miss you!

Hi, Lenore! Sorry about the stinky football team. At least the dances were fun. :)

Anonymous said...

Homecoming in the town where I live is a huge event. The homecoming queen wears a white ball gown, like a bride, which I find a little, well, creepy. I mean, they're so young for that! And a boy serenades her in front of the whole student body, which is rather sweet. I don't remember how it was where I grew up. A big deal, I think. We had a dance; that much I remember.

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, Caryn! He serenades her? Interesting. :)

Adrienne said...

Ha! I've heard of the Kool Aid thing but never witnessed it!
I enjoyed helping to make the parade floats - all those tissue flowers! Pretty wasteful, now that I think of it. But mostly I remember freezing our butts off at the games.

Angela Ackerman said...

LIving in Canada and in a small town to boot, we had no such thing as Homecoming. I remember it was a huge draw for me as a teen to read books about Homecoming and how I so wanted to be a part of it all.

Keri Mikulski said...

Hi, GottaWriteGirl! Yup.. :)

Hi, Adrienne! The floats are amazing and fun. :) Yikes. I hate the cold.

Hi, Angela! Awe.. Yay for books. :)