The glitz, the glam, the flash of the lights. If you are walking down Broadway, or taking a stroll through Central Park, or picking up a quick slice before taking the subway, you might be in New York City. But the subway is not the only thing transporting people.
This year’s Homecoming theme, “New York, New York,” is taking students into the city of lights for a homecoming they will never forget. With dress-up days throughout the week leading up to the dance, this year’s lineup brought out student spirit all over the school.
Pajama day, the very first dress-up day of the week, gave students a chance to be cozy on campus. Most, like freshman Claire Eggers, chose to take the path of maximum comfort.
“Honestly, the thought process was [just] going back to sleep, and getting on my clothes as fast as possible,” Eggers said
However, others took the opportunity to get creative with their school spirit.
“A lot of people wore some super fun onesies on pajama day that really stood out,” sophomore Makayla Flipse said. “I thought that that was super cute and creative.”
Tourist/landmark day had students putting on their travel best. Sophomore Eliana Grunther, for example, aimed for a classic tourist outfit, complete with an “I love NY” shirt.
“Honestly, I just looked for a shirt that said ‘New York,’ and put that on, and then I found leggings that matched it,” said Grunther. “So I did the best I could because I [don’t] have a lot of New York shirts.”
Wednesday was Broadway day, where students showed spirit through their character costumes. Students chose a range of musicals to dress up as, from “Heathers” to “Hamilton.” However, the hit musical “Wicked” ruled the school.
“There’s a lot of Glinda and Elphabas, which I thought was really cute,” senior Cameron Walsh said.
One of these Elphabas was Flipse.
“‘Wicked’ is my favorite musical and I thought it would be really fun to do that for Broadway day,” Flipse said.
For neon day, everyone came out in their bright colors, leading up to the Glow Pep Rally in the evening. With each grade as a different color, the school “glowed” all out.
For sophomore Addison Talley, the fun of the dress-up days was infectious.
“It’s just really fun,” Talley said. “It’s funny to see what everybody dresses up as, and it just makes me laugh.”
Talley, who came as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh for pajama day, said she feels dress-up days boost school spirit. Her favorite part? Seeing the teachers participate with their often silly costumes and spirit wear.
At last, the highly anticipated homecoming dance arrived. With the glittering “New York, New York” theme came decorations, lights, a photobooth, a Kona Ice truck and a Simply 360 Brevard booth, in which students could take creative photos and videos with their friends.
“I was able to get more of a vibe out of it and the new circular photo booth,” junior Erene Porter said. “[I]t was my first time taking pictures at [homecoming], this year. So that was really fun.”
How does it compare to last year’s homecoming though? Though 2005 was a great year for Hagerty, students overall said the music played was not as good as it could have been. This year, however, the music hit a bit harder.
“I know a lot of people wouldn’t really like it, but I thought it was better than last year,” sophomore Emily Moore said.
Though the school’s time in NYC was short-lived, it created some great memories for all who got to be there and participate in the spirit of the week. Homecoming 2025 is officially over, but it infused the spirit of the roaring city lights into what is usually a quiet suburbia, effectively creating an unforgettable experience.
