by Anika Bastin (’23) | November 18, 2022
During the last week of October, Saint Francis held a Stranger Things-themed Homecoming. Associated Student Body (ASB), Rally Board, Student Councils, and Rage Cage Captains worked together to create a week full of exciting activities for faculty and students.
Homecoming kicked off with Spirit Week, to fuel Lancers’ spirits. The festivities included themed dress up days such as “Wakeup Wednesday,” where students dressed as the musical artist who they believed could wake them from Vecna’s curse, a reference to Stranger Things. ASB and Student Council also set up several fun activities during lunch, including a tense round of parent-child Heads Up on “You are like Papa” Tuesday that resulted in Mr. Dan Quinn’s and Mr. Simon Raines’ heads being shaved.
Students from all grades were thrilled to participate in the festivities. Emily Tang (’26) emphasized, “Coming from a person who hasn’t even watched the series, the themes were very creative and I was shocked at how many people participated.” Indeed, ASB worked tirelessly to ensure that the entirety of the student body could easily participate in every theme, regardless of familiarity with Stranger Themes.
Friday was Play Day, for which Rally Board transformed the Burns Gym into the Upside Down, an alternate dimension in the show. It was a long and difficult process—Rally Board member Antonette Oliva (’23) stated, “We got a lot of help from Student Council to decorate, and we spent probably four hours after school on Thursday to do so, but it took a whole month of planning.”
The first rally included an exciting bike race, where faculty competed to see who could bike the most slowly without falling off of their bikes. Mr. Dan Meyer prevailed in the end, easily defeating Mr. Zachary Herhold. Several teachers, including Mr. Ray Hisatake and Mr. Mike Chechelnitsky, dressed as Eleven, the protagonist of Stranger Things. Marching Band livened up the atmosphere, playing Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Jump” by Van Halen. Varsity Pom Squad also performed a fun dance number to “Back in Black” by AC/DC. The rally closed on an exciting note, with the school setting up several bouncy castles and spikeball nets for students to enjoy.
Then came the second rally, consisting of a series of exciting skits by the seniors on Homecoming Court. First, Robynne Blackmond, Will Li, Josh Hoffsetter, and Keala Keanaaina staged a dance battle between the Unity Dance Crew and the Football team. The Unity Dance Crew prevailed in the crowd-decided dance-off. Next, JT Naylor, Maile Marinchak, Samantha Franco, and Tiffany Maguire infiltrated the crowd dressed as Bellarmine students, accompanied by Varsity Pom Squad. They then held a rap battle pitting Bellarmine against Saint Francis. Last was Antonette Oliva, Matthew Heydari, Boladale Erogbogbo, and Esther Yang’s High School Musical-themed skit that depicted their efforts to band together for their performance. Will Li, this year’s Homecoming King, described his experience performing: “We performed super well and heated up the gym! I think it was super fun, and a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The celebrations culminated in the Homecoming football game, where Saint Francis faced longtime rival Bellarmine, with Lancers ultimately winning 31-10. Many students were excited to cheer for the team in the Rage Cage; Cage Captain Zachary Romero (’23) described the turnout, stating “it’s exhilarating to feel the whole school’s energy with yours, and it brings us together in a unique way.”
The 2022 Homecoming was one full of Lancer spirit, exciting everyone from faculty to students. It was a fantastic accomplishment for everyone involved in its planning, and a fun reminder of what it means to be a part of the Saint Francis community.
