By: Isabella Trafton
Last Friday, Oct. 8, was the Quaker Valley High School homecoming game where the winners of homecoming royalty were revealed to be Ellie Bates and Mac Giles.
This year, 16 students were chosen to be on the court. The girls nominated for homecoming queen were Ellie Bates, Annie Comerci, Ilijana Hasak, Amelia Herrmann, Mary Pangburn, Sara Ruhl, Mary Grace Stampfel, and Miriam Whitacre. The boys nominated for homecoming king were Will Campbell, Wil Dunda, Mac Giles, Grant Huddleston, Michael Lipton, Noah Rock, Adam Tanabe, and Charlie Crane. “I was really honored,” Bates said. “I felt that it’s a huge compliment to be nominated by your teachers.” Talking about his reaction and the happy reaction of his peers, Giles said, “I was honored, and I knew I had my guys behind me the entire day.” In the time since candidates were nominated, they have all campaigned in different ways. While some did not campaign at all, others took creative outlooks, like Miriam Whitacre, who hung flyers in classrooms urging people to vote for her. Those who did not campaign themselves sometimes utilized their friends to encourage students to vote for them.
Being on the homecoming court is a demonstration of the hard work and charisma of students. Each member of the homecoming court is carefully selected by QVHS teachers. Being selected is a huge honor. On Oct. 7, an email was sent out to the whole school by Mr. Hollein with the Google Form ballot. On Oct. 8, the school held a pep rally after sixth period and presented the court to QV students one last time before the game. During the pep rally, the court played four different games, including a dizzy bat race and leapfrog; The boys won three games, and the girls won one. Later that night was QV’s annual homecoming football game. With each touchdown and point won, the student section erupted in cheers. In honor of breast cancer awareness month, the game’s theme was “Pink Out,” and the boys on the team sported pink socks with their uniforms. This year’s game and festivities had a stark contrast to last year’s homecoming game, which was at the height of the pandemic. The student section was once again lively, full of school spirit, and excited for Friday night football.
Finally, after a performance from the marching bands at halftime, the homecoming king and queen were revealed. QVHS’s marching band and color guard lined up, creating a tunnel for each pair of nominees to walk through. While the pair walked through the tunnel down the field, the loudspeaker called out information about the nominees. The nominees’ goals, aspirations, extracurricular activities, and achievements were all read aloud. In their best attire and sashes, the nominees stood hoping their name would be called. The homecoming king was revealed first, and the winner was Mac Giles. The bleachers clapped and hollered. Next, the queen was announced, and Ellie Bates’ name was read. The pair received crowns and started taking photos. Overcoming the difficulties of the pandemic was a challenge, but QVHS’s homecoming was a symbol of the good things to come this school year.
Wearing their crowns with pride, Ellie Bates and Mac Giles are proud to be the 2021 Homecoming King and Queen.
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