The big kickoff to Homecoming weekend began around 1:15 on Friday, September 27. Students were released from confines of their classrooms to the fresh outdoors for the pep rally. Immediately following the pep rally festivities, a tailgate was held in the tennis courts. Bright and early the next morning, the JV and Varsity football teams faced Randallstown’s JV and Varsity teams. Later that evening, students danced the night away at the Homecoming Dance to draw a close to the weekend’s events.

In the past, Towson’s pep rallies haven’t been something students looked forward to, and I have been told by many upperclassmen that they were “lame.” Ninth and tenth graders used to attend a different pep rally than the upperclassmen, which was held inside during morning classes, causing the excitement to fade by the end of the day.  Students claimed that they weren’t pumped for the homecoming game or dance. At one point in THS history, there weren’t any pep rallies at all.

Our new principal, Ms. Charlene DiMino, decided that to bring spirit back to Towson. This year, a combined pep rally was held for the whole school, and each grade sat in a designated section.  The pep rally was full of surprises, including a teacher flash mob.  A group a seniors, led by Hannah Jones, decided to use the pep rally as their backdrop for a music video they planned to enter in a contest sponsored by Katy Perry.  The video features tons of students, most of our sports teams, and the marching band. (You can find the video on The Talisman homepage.)

To continue with the homecoming fun, a tailgate party was held in the tennis courts promptly after the pep rally. This has never been done before at Towson and, along with the pep rally, the tailgate was a smashing success! Food, games, a student band, and even a “make your own snowball” truck made a guest appearance. Freshman Maggie Moore says, “The tailgate was really fun! I hope they have them after upcoming pep rallies.” This is definitely a tradition Towson should continue.

The homecoming football games were played the morning after the tailgate.  The JV and Varsity Generals both put up a tough fight against Randallstown, but unfortunately, they lost both games.  I interviewed Wilson Chestney, a receiver for our JV team, who filmed both games because he was unable to play due to an injury. Wilson says that Towson didn’t have as many “big plays” as Randallstown.

Our eventful weekend concluded with the Homecoming dance.  A crowd of students poured into the cafeteria to dance with their friends. Thankfully, water was provided in the senior café because students danced so hard that they needed to cool off.  According to freshman Callie Westerlund, “Everyone left with a smile on their face.  It was certainly a night to remember!”

Homecoming 2013 was surely one-of-a- kind.  New traditions were born that will hopefully continue with the pep rallies and tailgates to come.