Homecoming week looks different each year. Annually, during the first few weeks of school, students and teachers alike come together to dress up all week, following various themes until Friday, on which they go all-out in purple accessories to show school spirit.
But what is school spirit, and how did Stoughton commit to it? School spirit is a process by which almost everyone contributes, from clubs to teams to individuals. With students supporting SHS so passionately, it garners a timeless stamp every school year.
A lot of effort is put in to display SHS’ spirit. Toni Fischer, SHS Psychology and American History teacher doubles as the Student Senate advisor. Student Senate is the extracurricular group behind the homecoming pep rally on the Friday before the football game and many other homecoming events. Fischer divides the Student Senate into specific roles to make homecoming what it is; a grand display of school spirit.
“Getting all [of] this set up for homecoming week is […] a hard process. It’s all divvied up,” Fischer said.
It yields quite the operation between gathering teams for the pep rally, including inviting the band, running the student sections, and announcing. The Student Senate members involved gather a few hours before the event begins and get to work.
Ruby Royston, a senior and the president of the Student Senate, acted as the emcee.
“It was a lot, but it’s controlled chaos,” Royston said.
Fischer seeks student participation during homecoming week.
“All grades were represented on the student team. It gave a reason, because everybody had skin in the game; it wasn’t just a group of seniors against the teachers like they had done in past years,” Fischer said.
Overall, the Student Senate put in effort to construct an honorable show of Stoughton pride. The goal at the end is to, “just take pride in the school [and] be proud of the work we’ve done,” Royston said.
School pride is expressed in a variety of ways; one staple is the Stoughton High School Cheer Team, who recites cheers to the school.
Lexi Boyd, an SHS alumni and current college attendee, coaches the group. The team meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, at which they practice performance dynamics. Their practices vary, depending on what’s impending and what needs improvement.
“What we feel like we need to work on…kind of just depends on where we are…the girls warm up on their own. They know their bodies best,” Boyd said.
The cheer team performs for various events, including the homecoming pep rally and football game. When asked how long these routines take to memorize, Boyd stated they had it down in a week and a half. Despite the short schedule, their performance gathered support from the school’s student section.
“This year, we took the soccer boys, so we involved a completely different sport. That’s not really recognized in homecoming, and we recognize them right,” Boyd said.
Boyd pushes to expand the rally’s reach going forward. Dressed in flashy purple pride. The cheerleaders give it their all, representing SHS.
One notable appearance within this year’s pep rally was an unnamed Viking mascot leading the student section. The mascot was played by Landen Murphy, a dedicated performer and senior at SHS. He performed for not only the pep rally but also volleyball, football, and other events.
“This is my third or fourth time doing it […] I’ll be in [the costume] again,” Murphy said.
His passion lit up the student section, gaining attention and support for the Stoughton Vikings.
From the individuals to the clubs and teams involved, the pep rally and the greater homecoming week projects Stoughton’s melting pot of school spirit. Together, the student body works as one to show the world their dedication to the color purple.