The Cavaliers pose with Mr. Ruehl at the start of last year’s Homecoming Parade (Photo courtesy of MTH Band Parents).

This fall will mark Mt. Hebron’s 50th Homecoming. In honor of Mt. Hebron’s anniversary, the theme of the dance will be Fifty Years of Hebron Pride. During Spirit Week, be prepared to see each grade decked out in their assigned decade’s attire — seniors rocking the ‘70s, juniors with the ‘80s, and so forth.

Much of the culture of those decades will be foreign to current students, but to some of Mt. Hebron’s alumni, the extravagant outfits may be reminders of a time when they themselves were students at Mt. Hebron. With big plans for a celebration in mind, prepare for a day full of fun traditions and a night of dancing.

Mt. Hebron teachers still recall fond memories of their own time spent as students here. Centennial High School, the Vikings’ biggest current rival, was not always the biggest competition. When Gym teacher Mr. Ross Hannon attended Mt. Hebron, Atholton was the school’s nemesis.

For Mr. Hannon’s senior year Homecoming game, they played the Atholton Raiders. Mr. Hannon said that a group of boys on the Raider’s football team found a dead deer carcass and tied it to a goal post on Mt. Hebron’s football field. Locating the culprit was made significantly easier by the fact that one of the pranksters left behind a box with his name and address on it.

When Principal Scott Ruehl attended Mt. Hebron, he was able to experience the parade by participating in marching band.

“I remember the Homecoming parade would get to Hebron and drive around the track,” Mr. Ruehl recalled.

He said it gave the parents and students a chance to look at all the different floats and decide which one was their favorite.

When it comes to finding a date to the dance, the tradition of asking in a “fancy” way is more recent than you would expect.

“It was pretty casual,” Math teacher Ms. Leigh Miles said about asking a date when she was a student at Mt. Hebron. “There wasn’t any hoopla like there is now.”

Mr. Hannon also said it was informal when he was trying to find a date to Homecoming. His tactic was to “make a list, start at the top and make my way down,” he said.

Actually, the tradition of extravagant Homecoming asks started because of the show “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” where the reality-TV teens executed their elaborate prom-plans to perfection.

As students take a peek into our Homecoming history here at Mt. Hebron, they also should look forward to the very special 50th anniversary celebrations.

During the week leading up to Homecoming, students of all grades will flaunt outfits from pajamas to creative costumes. This year, a new day will be added to the Spirit Week tradition, USA Day. The Friday before the big dance, as always, will be Color Day. The school will be covered in red, blue, yellow and black. Each color represents a grade and each grade competes to be the most spirited.

On Saturday, the Pancake Breakfast starts off the long day of celebrations. It is followed by the parade, where each class is able to show off its extravagant floats. The highly praised annual Homecoming game follows the parade. When the game ends, the students go home, get cleaned up, and put on their dancing shoes. The dance will finish off the fun-filled celebrations.

“Hopefully by Homecoming, freshmen boys put on their big boy britches and ask girls to the dance,” joked sophomore Sam Rice said.

According to Rice, the SGA expects over 600 people to attend this year’s dance.

For seniors, this is the fourth and final Homecoming celebration that they will be a part of.

Looking back at past years, senior Kate Kruse recalled, “My favorite memory was from sophomore year when a group of my friends started a dance circle and some people started doing back flips.”

Students who attend this year’s dance will likely bear witness to similar spectacles of acrobatic and dancing talent.

This year the Vikings have a lot to celebrate. From Spirit Week to the football game to the dance, there is an activity for everyone to enjoy. Mt. Hebron is expecting a huge Homecoming bash that will honor the half-century-old high school. Look forward to a week full of Mt. Hebron pride and an unforgettable Homecoming Day.