Bright lights, bejeweled outfits, iconic music, and even louder teenagers—it’s practically guaranteed that you’ll have a good time at Homecoming. Not even midnight rain can ruin the sparkling energy in the air. This year, hosted by the junior class, the Homecoming dance had a glow theme, represented by glow stick bracelets and necklaces, as well as a monumental balloon arch, made of incredibly bright, glowing balloons. 

Maggie Walker’s Homecoming royalty was nominated and voted for by other students, with this year’s crowns going to Peter Yanovitch and Rewa Totey for the freshman class, Will Smith and Danny Gaskill for the sophomore class, Phoenix Unzueta and Grace Yoo for the junior class, and Bruce Yanovitch and Haley Johnston for the senior class. 

When asked her thoughts on winning freshman royalty, Rewa Totey shared that “it was super surprising.” Although Totey wasn’t expecting to win royalty, when she did, she said, “It was so exciting and I was really happy about it!” Overall, Totey’s Homecoming experience was “extremely fun,” and the added benefit of winning freshman Homecoming court created “a super special memory for [her].” 

The sophomore class Homecoming court, Will Smith and Danny Gaskill, won from a unique perspective. Gaskill shared that “at first, the nomination was a bit of a joke,” as the two were nominated through a fan social media account for their friendship. Said account had continuous growth leading up to Homecoming, so when the idea to nominate Smith and Gaskill was posted only nights before, it quickly gained momentum. 

“Winning Homecoming royalty was pretty swagalicious,” Smith added. “I expected it, because of all of the external support.” Meanwhile, Gaskill had some different thoughts, saying “I was honestly surprised that we won!” Though the two may have had different thoughts when it came to their surprise with winning, they both agreed overall, “Homecoming was so much fun, and it was great getting to hang out with friends.” 

Although the power cord may have been tripped once, resulting in both the lights and music going out for a handful of minutes, the students’ energy level only increased as the night progressed. Sophomore Daniel Asuncion said, “It was very fun to be a part of such a happy and energetic crowd during Homecoming!” The fun, popular, music only contributed to this energy, with students shouting along at the top of their lungs.

Overall, Maggie Walker’s 2022 Homecoming was a major success, filled with bright lights, booming music, and students celebrating the start of a new school year, while being able to not think about the stress of school work for once.