As homecoming season has wrapped up, one will no longer see girls scouring the dress racks for the perfect ensemble to dance the night away in, nor will they see the various homecoming proposals that plague social networking sites like Instagram. While the Homecoming dance is a vital part of the traditional celebration of Homecoming, it is not the only way Lincoln-Way Central students got involved during Homecoming Week. This year’s theme was Rockin’ Through the Decades. For the entirety of the week, famous songs like “Hey Jude” and “American Pie” flooded the hallways and classrooms of Lincoln-Way Central. Sophomore John Hall commented on the music, stating that it was, “groovy, although they should have played more Rolling Stones.”

On Monday September 15^th, Homecoming week kicked off with the Homecoming Olympics where students formed teams and competed against one another. The activities included a shoe throw, a capture the flag-type game called Gladiator, a tug-of-war, and boat races through the pool. Mia Gengo, junior, participated in the games and thought that, “they were really fun,” adding that her favorite activity was Gladiator. The day was also declared, ‘Rock n’ Roll Out of Bed Day,’ where students wore their favorite pajamas to school.  The hallways were filled with the typical yoga pants and hoodies, but some students went all out with slippers, robes, and bedhead hair.

Tuesday brought the traditional Road to Reality performance to Lincoln-Way Central, and it was also ‘Classic Sport Day’. Students donned their favorite sportswear; the hallways were filled with classic White Sox and Cubs jerseys, along with Bears and Blackhawks jerseys. As for Road to Reality, the program is an interactive skit that details the consequences of drinking and driving. Students and members of the community often find themselves heart-wrenched at the story of a girl named Sarah who makes a poor decision that leads to the death of her best friend, and her subsequent incarceration.

Wednesday was ‘Hippie Day’, where students were encouraged to wear tie-dye and dress like they came straight to school from Woodstock.  This gave the chance for many girls to wear crowns made of (artificial) flowers, middle parts, and headbands on their foreheads.  On Thursday, students were encouraged to wear their favorite concert or band t-shirts to school. Never before have the halls been filled with musical extremes from Justin Bieber to Led Zeppelin.

Friday September 19^th brought with it the pep rally and Game Day, and of course was declared ‘Rock your Red and Black Day’. Students piled into the field house to celebrate the fantastic Homecoming week and prepare the mood for the evening’s game against Andrew. Performances included a guitar rendition of Thunderstruck by AC/DC performed by one of Central’s own students  and the national anthem by Mr. Jackson on electric guitar. Other performances included the cheerleading squad’s stellar Homecoming routine, and the Rhythm Knights’ famous dance with the varsity football players. As always, students were pleasantly surprised by teacher performances in videos. The famous Bohemian Rhapsody scene from the movie “Wayne’s World” was recreated by Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Hopper, along with help from others. Music videos included classics such as TLC’s “Waterfalls” to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” But it was Mr. Finnegan’s recreation of Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” video that took the cake, proving that Mr. Finnegan could swing from a wrecking ball better than Miley ever could.

Later that night, the Varsity football team defeated Andrew with a score of 41 to 10, of course with help from the enormous fan section that encouraged the team throughout the game. And to wrap up the festivities, Saturday the 20^th included the famous Homecoming parade that stretched from Martino Jr. High School back to our home at Lincoln-Way Central. At 7, the Homecoming dance began, with lights flashing, popular music blaring, and students dancing the night away.

Overall, the success of the week was evident, with students saying that it was “The best Homecoming experience” they’ve ever had at Lincoln-Way Central. The week would not have been as nearly as successful without the avid participation in all of the activities by the student body. It seems as though next year’s Homecoming will have a lot to live up to!