Making sense of Homecoming

The word Homecoming didn’t always make sense to me. Why is it referred to as “school” every other day of the year, and then for one weekend “school” suddenly becomes your “home?” After thinking about this for a while, I came to the conclusion that it must be the feeling Homecoming leaves you with after it’s over: a sense of family. At Lawrence Woodmere Academy, Homecoming is a testament to not only the strength of our community, but that we are a family, as well.

This year will be my last Homecoming as an LWA student, and I think it’s one of the things I will miss the most. Homecoming surrounds our school with a certain energy: an energy of the promise of a new year. It allows me to step back and view our school from entirely different angles: watching the boys and girls varsity soccer teams thundering down the field, seeing a Lower School child get his face painted, and even participating in a donut-eating contest. To an LWA student, Homecoming also marks the passage of time.

You begin as a Lower Schooler, completely enthralled by the excitement of the weekend, watching the Upper School sports teams run in during the pep rally on Friday, laughing as the teachers make fools of themselves in the Faculty Show and wondering far into the future what it will be like when you’re finally in Upper School. Fast-forward a few years and suddenly you’re a senior and the one responsible for organizing the excitement of the weekend, running in for the last time at the pep rally, now captain of your team, still laughing at the teachers in the Faculty Show with whom you now have a close bond, and wondering into the not-so-far future where you’ll find yourself at this time next year.

This year’s Homecoming promises a marriage booth, tie-dye, cotton candy, soccer games, carnival rides and more. Every aspect of LWA’s multifaceted community will be represented, from the dance club performance to the Faculty Show. But this year I know I’m going to leave with something less tangible than school spirit wear … I’m going to leave with a sense of home. A sense of home that you feel, while decorating the gym for the pep rally with your grade or watching your team score a game-winning goal.

So, I guess referring to your school as a home does make sense after all. If you don’t believe me, come to Lawrence Woodmere Academy this Saturday to see for yourself. I guarantee you will leave with more than just a sweatshirt.