Anna Claire Mitchum | Raider Staff
For many students, the highlight of Homecoming week comes Friday morning. The student body decorates the hallways with their class to boost school spirit for the football game. This tradition is organized by the SCA and the class sponsors.
“It started in order to foster school spirit and bring the classes together during the beginning of the year. It’s also a big bang to end Homecoming week,” SCA member Lauren McCloskey said. Decorating hallways Friday morning has always been a favorite tradition.
“I do not know when they started, but it’s been happening at County ever since I began teaching here,” English teacher Toni Rader said. Rader has been teaching at Loudoun County High School since 1984.
“I think students and teachers alike enjoy showing their school spirit and the healthy competition of which can outdo the other,” Rader said. McCloskey can attest that the competitive energy gets all the classes focusing on one thing: winning.
Hallway themes begin with the SCA. “The SCA begins in the spring of the previous year. They have multiple meetings where they brainstorm ideas, research ideas, discuss ideas. The hard part is coming up with four hallways that are all doable and fun. The SCA works hard to make sure that all four hallways are good,” Nancy Thomas, the SCA sponsor, said.
Seniority has its benefits. “The seniors get first pick based on the theme,” McCloskey said. “Since this year is ‘holidays,’ senior SCA gets to choose any holiday they want. This year they picked Christmas. Then junior SCA and so on, until every grade had a holiday.”
“I think my favorite hallway is when the seniors did ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ They had the Yellow Brick Road, munchkins, and the Emerald City.” McCloskey said.
Rader agrees that “The Wizard of Oz” is her favorite hallway.
“I really do not have a favorite. Some memorable ones: Seniors, Hogwarts and Candy Land. Juniors, Monopoly and Paris. Sophomores, the Penguins Lair. Freshmen, Vegas,” Thomas said.
The feeling students and staff get when walking through the doors and being transported to another place is indescribable.
“Decorating a hallway gives students a sense of pride in their school.” Rader said. Though people are uncertain when this tradition began, they are certain that it will continue.
