Homecoming 2022 was North Harford’s second week of school this year with spirit week, the pep rally, the big football game, and the dance all being in the very beginning of the school year for students and faculty. 

     Everyone lended a helping hand to make this  year’s homecoming possible. Biology teacher Mrs. Elizabeth  Martin, math teacher Mrs. Jennifer Fisher-Smith and English teacher Mrs. Jennifer Chandler were the main teachers coordinating and helping with all of the events of homecoming week. 

      SGA seniors Noa Blanken,  Julia Blondell,  Samina Dhani, and junior Bella Brockmeyer helped plan the events too. 

     This year’s spirit week was September 12 to September 16 the day of the football game and pep rally. That Monday was pajama day. Tuesday was Hawaiian day. Wednesday was jersey day. Thursday was neon day. We ended the week on Friday with class colors day, freshmans wore white, sophomores wore  yellow, juniors wore green, and seniors wore black. 

     Students dressed up for spirit week this year but also wished for “something more creative like Adam Sandler day,” junior Kayla Doll said. Brockmeyer, a SGA member, said “we do the same ones every year, we need a change.” Sophomore Katie Jones wants to “bring back holiday day.”

     The pep rally was held at 1-1:45 Friday, September 15. At the pep rally, every sports team did a lap sit relay. There were also other games students were able to participate in. SGA ordered all of the necessary things that were needed for the games before school started since it was so early this year. 

     “It was fun,” senior Rileigh Crawford said about the pep rally. Junior Lilly Moody felt like “it would have been more fun if everyone was a little more hyped” during the pep rally. Also, junior Korynn Sims said it was fun “but could have involved each class more in some way.”

     It was the first time since 2019 that the Hawk’s Nest had fireworks after this year’s game. North Harford is the only school in Harford County allowed to have fireworks at the school. “This tradition has been going on since I’ve gone here,” gym teacher Mr. Justin Martineck says. Mr. Martineck is the new athletic director and the varsity football coach. Students went down onto the turf after the game to sit and watch the fireworks together. “[There was] food and lots of fun on friday night,” Mrs. Martin said about the football game against Bel Air, one of North Harford’s rivals. 

     The Booster Club was one of many organizations that had  booths at the homecoming festival. Along with being in charge of fireworks, they all donated money for the fireworks that cost around $5,000-$7,000, according to Mr. Martineck.

     The homecoming dance was on Saturday, September 16. The theme picked this year was Enchanted Garden. The dance was from 7-10 pm.  The SGA alongside volunteers from the journalism staff and other students who wanted to help joined in to set up for the dance. 850 students bought tickets for the dance according to Fisher-Smith. 

     Seniors Riley Stoneback and  Nathan Santana won the 2022 homecoming queen and king. “It was totally tubular to win,” Santana said. “My reaction to winning was honestly like a ‘wait what’ kind of moment,” Stoneback said. Stoneback’s math teacher convinced her to sign up to be on court. Santana “felt like it was going to be a cool experience” to maybe win homecoming king when he applied to be on court.