Rose Eney
Staff Reporter
Let the games begin; this year’s theme for homecoming certainly reflected the day’s events in a proper fashion. Even the weather played games all day, starting in the morning as being chilly and cloudy and going to being warm and sunny in the afternoon.Though mother nature was acting up, McDaniel students and alumni alike did not let that ruin their day. Sophomore Mike Mandel said “The football game is my favorite part and I love the atmosphere.” Senior Kaitlyn Giddings said of her last homecoming on the hill “I feel kind of sad to be leaving but equally excited to be able to come back in the future.”
People began setting up tents around the field as early as the Tuesday before the game in anticipation of rain that might have been headed their way. Lucky for them that was one game the weather did not play. According to junior Joe Drzonsc, Greek organizations spent up to five and a half hours painting their large and colorful letters on the hills surrounding the area during the week. The newest addition to the Greek family at McDaniel, Kappa Delta Rho, won the contest for best letters on homecoming day.
On the morning of the homecoming game people began to flock to the field from 7:30 a.m. onward. Grills were set up and fold-up chairs began to line the top of the bowl surrounding the field. Plastic table clothes were weighted down with burgers and hot dogs as the smell of grilling began to fill the windy air. Several groups of people had music playing from the backs of their cars and tubs filled with drinks in their trunks, truly the epitome of the tailgating spirit. The field became a virtual parking lot as hundreds of cars crammed onto the grass to get as close to their respective tents as possible.
As the start of the game approached the clouds began to recede and hundreds of people began to anticipate the match between the McDaniel Green Terror and the Gettysburg Bullets. The first quarter ended with the Bullets scoring seven points and the Terror only three. Though the game was a huge focus of the day, there were plenty of other things to devote attention to. All over people were selling food and programs, alumni were hanging around at the tent designated just for them, and everyone was enjoying the company of their friends.
Halftime came around as McDaniel fans cheered on their team as they trooped up the steps to take their break. The McDaniel College cheerleaders performed a routine to fill the crowd with energy. Afterwards the homecoming court, including king Matt Daley and queen Ellery Wynn, marched onto the field to claim their titles in front of the students who voted for them.
The halftime break passed and the fans began to fill the stands once again to catch every minute of the game at hand. On the surrounding hills many people were still socializing with their peers and friends. Class of 2008 alumnus Nick Tully stated “It’s great to be back even though it’s a bit overwhelming. You want to talk to everyone but it’s so hard to see everyone you want to see.” Alumni are the heart of homecoming and senior John Kelley believes homecoming is “absolutely amazing because it’s a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with those who have graduated from McDaniel.”
Graduates and non-graduates alike stuck around to the very end of the game even though Gettysburg lead McDaniel the entire game and achieved an impressive win of 38 to 9. McDaniel fought hard and everyone enjoyed watching their Green Terror players. Junior Abby Walker embodied McDaniel’s attitude when she said that the Terror will just have to rebuild itself for next year’s contest. Though spirits remained high after the loss, the weather seemed to have given out when clouds rolled in at the end of the fourth quarter.
People stuck around on the field for around a half hour after the game, still too transfixed by the wonderful atmosphere that homecoming provides. One last song was sung and one final hamburger finished. The grass parking lot that had accumulated so many cars began to empty and people began to return to their dorms, hotels and apartments.
Homecoming holds many traditions for McDaniel’s students and alumni. Some have parties after the game and some make sure to wear their favorite school sweatshirt every year. Whether one has kept up their tradition for 40 years or has yet to create one, homecoming is a place to hold on to the past, revel in the present and look forward to the future.