Last week was Homecoming week at Cook County High School. Homecoming is a week that reinforces to me everything that is exciting and positive about attending high school. Homecoming is made up of many things, but what stood out to me this year was the camaraderie of the student body throughout the week; the excitement for one another’s activities; the pep fest on Friday; and of course, the football game on Friday night.
Throughout the week, the student body enjoyed the different themed days like Twin Day, Backwards Day, Blue and White Day and others. While I have never really been overly excited to dress up (I hate Halloween), it is really fun to see students excited about being in school and sharing the experience with their friends. I was truly impressed with our student body’s involvement throughout the week.
Molly Zafft and many of the juniors were busy running around setting up decorations, conducting the vote for king and queen and doing all of the little things that make Homecoming fun. It is always neat to see certain students take responsibility and ownership of school activities for the enjoyment of everyone else.
On Thursday morning, there were freshly made volleyball decorations hanging on the players’ lockers. The volleyball team played that night, winning their 12th game of the season, bringing their overall season record to 12-2. The Vikings would go on to win the Two Harbors’ Tournament on Saturday before the Homecoming dance that same night.
Friday morning was nostalgic. As you entered the upper hall, blue and white decorations adorned the high school hallway. The student body was dressed in blue and white and the football players kept tradition by wearing their game jerseys. Football signs were posted on the guys’ lockers and a spirit of student pride permeated the hallways.
I have to admit, part of me felt like I was in a 1950s movie where the scenes of the old-school pepfests make you yearn to go back in time. The other part of me remembered my positive high school experiences and I was thrilled that the tradition of homecoming was alive and well.
Friday afternoon’s pep-fest started off with Homecoming Coronation. My daughter Rachel was a crown-bearer so she was proud of herself for sitting by all the “big kids.” I think she was especially excited that Brea Boomer was the Homecoming queen, as Rachel and Brea share a special relationship that has formed over the past few years.
While the football game didn’t go quite the way we wanted it to, the guys gave a valiant effort. I was proud of their poise and determination. The student body was great and our pep band is always the best band in the area.
Earlier in the week, Sheriff Mark Falk, Deputy Leif Lunde, and the highway patrol spoke to the students at school about making good choices over the weekend and then showed them a short video. It was incredibly powerful and I was incredibly impressed and thankful for their time.
As a teacher and coach, Homecoming night always makes you a bit nervous. You want kids to enjoy themselves, but you also want them to make good choices. No phone calls on Saturday night and throughout the day on Sunday was good news…everyone was safe!
While Homecoming week can sometimes create distractions in school and feuds at home, I must say that I was incredibly impressed with the young men and women at Cook County High School. We have a great bunch of students in our halls, and even a better group of young people.
Mitch Dorr, a Cook County
High School Class of 1993
graduate, is now a social
studies teacher and coach at
his former alma mater. Mitch
coaches Vikings football and
boys’ basketball. Coach Dorr’s
comments do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of the
ISD 166 school board or
administration.
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