On Sept. 7, West Ranch students dressed in their brightest colors for the 2023 Homecoming rally. The theme for this year was HoCochella. With neon as the color scheme for the rally, the gym was adorned with vivid pink, yellow, green and blue decorations. The energy surrounding the first rally of the school year filled the room.
With the help of ASB, students organized themselves on the bleachers based on grade level, preparing for the friendly class competitions to come. Once everyone had made their way into the gym, the Masters of Ceremony, (Ian Town, Elias Wamsteker, Olivia King and Amelia Barnes) began the rally with a roaring welcome, building up the hype for the activities awaiting them. Town, a first-time emcee, described his excitement for being the hype man: “It was one of the most amazing experiences. Definitely something I looked forward to my whole high school career, and I’m really glad I got to do it as a senior.”
To kick the rally off on a high note, members of the West Ranch choir sang the National Anthem. They were met with a standing ovation and applause from both teachers and students.
Next up, Mr. Fisher made his grand entrance holding the school-famous Spirit Stick, amassing each grade level. He held a small competition to see which grade could cheer the loudest in the gym. Although each class tried their best, the seniors were ultimately crowned the winners.
After pumping up the whole pack, West Ranch cheer skipped to the middle of the auditorium, invigorating the crowd with spectacular stunts and explosive energy. “It was nerve-wracking at first,” recalled new cheerleader McKayla Thorstensen. “But you kinda get, like, an adrenaline rush from it, and then it feels fun. I love hearing the people cheer.”
Following cheer’s impressive performance, the award-winning West Ranch dance team performed their new choreography, which was set to multiple songs including “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez. This was met with cheers and applause from the Pack.
Following the performance, the Masters of Ceremony called over everyone’s attention to the next event, a contest between grade levels. In the game, two people from each grade worked together. One student laid down on a rolling square dolly with a bucket, while the other pushed the dolly. The objective was to use the buckets to collect as many ping-pong balls laid out on the floor as possible. Although the game ended in a dogpile, the seniors were awarded the title of champions, and the rally continued.
To cap off the activities and performances of the rally, West Ranch’s hip hop team put on an amazing show. They took the spotlight with various songs from Beyoncé such as “Crazy in Love” and “Diva.” The crowd’s roars only got louder as the lights dimmed and the three main dancers stepped up to show their most polished moves.
Finally, the moment to present the 2023 Homecoming Court arrived. Before announcing the nominees for king and queen, freshmen court members Charles Samuelson and Quinn Costic, sophomore court members Sofia Forbes and Max Morse-Tobeck and junior court members Natalie Arrington and Colt Varner were all called onto the red carpet.
Then, the 12 nominees for Homecoming King and Queen were introduced: Amelia Barnes, Aiden Buntich, Aubrey Donell, Brenden Reyes, Cassidy Clark, Esi Otoo, Effie Gross, Gabe Rojas, Jonathan Samadi, Megan Choe, Jules Lohla and Zach Wyre.
As the nominees paired up and walked down the red carpet, some accompanied by their mothers, their names were announced on the speaker, being met with an eruption of cheer. The duos performed a fun handshake or busted a quick move at the end of the carpet before walking off.
“I was so surprised that I got into the court, and I was just happy to be on the court,” nominee Esi Otoo shared. “I went on the Top 30 Ballot looking to vote for one of my friends, and I wasn’t expecting to see my name on there, so I was very surprised. It’s very flattering.”
The rally’s ending served as a beginning to both homecoming and the fun to come in the 2023-2024 school year. Cats, look out for more incredible rallies and activities coming up in the school year.
