On Homecoming Friday, September 26^th this year, the sound of cowbells and jangly decorations fill the air. Girls’ mums, the motto for them often being “the bigger the better,” are distinctly recognizable as the sound of one of the most fun school days of the year.

While Homecoming is a tradition recognized around the country, mums are a southern tradition. Sometimes up to 150 dollars is spent on them. Mums are decorated with ribbons and other decorations that promote Clear Creek and school spirit, or the owner’s personal interests. Traditionally, freshmen’s mums are the smallest, and they gradually increase in size by grade. Senior’s mums are often white with an accent color and massive flowers, often three of them making up a mum large enough to cover the whole front of their body.

Traditionally, guys ask girls to homecoming, although by no means does everyone have to have a date. Guys who ask girls usually make girls their mums, and the girls make boys their garters. While almost every single girl has a mum, not nearly that many have boys have garters. Boys that do not have dates, almost never have garters, while girls that do not have dates often make their mums for themself.

Classes will be about 20 minutes shorter than normal because of the Homecoming Carnival and Pep Rally. The carnival is during your scheduled lunch time and will last about 45minutes. At the carnival, students buy tickets with money and then use the tickets to buy food and play games at booths set up by different organizations. For example, Newspaper has a “photo booth” where people can pose for Polaroid picture with friends and have it to keep, and Best Buddies is selling friendship bracelets. The choir has sold fried Oreos in the past, and FFA sells the best fries you ever will taste. Fifteen to twenty dollars is normally more than sufficient to get some food and buy a few items or play a few games. The Chamber Choir normally provides the music, singing songs for everyone’s entertainment.

At the end of the day, a Pep Rally is held for all grades. Freshmen and sophomores sit on the side with the band and Cavaliers, and juniors and seniors sit on the other side. The freshmen sit next to the band, and then the sophomores. The juniors sit facing the sophomores, with the seniors facing the band and the freshmen. This is important, because the cheerleaders lead cheers between grades. A “spirit stick” is awarded to the loudest section. Although the contest is real, the seniors almost always win.

The students on the varsity football team bring their mothers to the Pep Rally and sit with them until they are announced. Each player and their mom are recognized.

One of the most memorable moments of the homecoming pep rally is the Cavalier senior hip-hop dance. All seniors on the Cavaliers perform a fun, hip-hop dance to upbeat music for the whole school.

The band along with the drum line will perform a few songs, and the cheerleaders perform a dance. Most of the time a skit is done by the Student Council, featuring some of the football players destroying the opponent’s mascot.

After school ends, the game is definitely one of the most fun parts of the day. Many people go, and the student section is full of spirit. Homecoming and the game are two of the best events all year, as the day is focused purely on fun and school spirit. Everyone reps Creek together, and everyone cheers for our team together.