Homecoming: besides Prom, the big school dance. Of course I heard about it in Germany, but to be honest I didn’t know what to expect. The activities the school hosts, such as spirit week, the pep rally, the parade, and the homecoming game, all came like a big surprise to me, as there isn’t really anything comparable in my home country.

When Homecoming week started, I was so excited. I just loved dressing up for spirit week and this was one of the moments I realized again: I am in the US, and I can live an American high school life.

By the time Friday of Homecoming week finally arrived, I was extremely enthusiastic. Everybody had been talking about the things happening that day like the pep rally, the parade, and the Homecoming football game.

First, I went to the pep rally during the 60-minute W-Hour. I had a vague idea what it could be like, but I was unsure what was going to happen. I ultimately loved the experience that I had. As the different grades were cheering for their grade level teams, I found the spirit to be so uplifting, as everyone just seemed so happy and had the sense of belonging. After that, I thought it couldn’t get any better, but I was fortunately proven wrong.

In the afternoon, there was a parade with all the different activities around West, after that I went to the football game. Although I really liked riding on the parade float with the tennis team, my definite highlight of the day was the game. I’ve never experienced so much team spirit. I’ve been to high school football games before, but this was by far the best one yet. If that wasn’t enough, we also won our first game of the season. It all felt unreal and the prospect of finally having the homecoming dance the next day made me ecstatic.

The day finally arrived: the day of the Homecoming dance. I was so excited for that Saturday. I loved getting ready, taking pictures and going to dinner with friends. It was such a blast! I was having so much fun with my host sister and my friends. I loved that it wouldn’t be just going to the dance but instead there were things happening before the dance. We were all seniors, so we got the fast pass into the Homecoming dance and then we went into the school. I have to be really honest now, I can’t really decide how I like the dance. The whole experience? Definitely a 10/10. But the dance itself? I liked it, but I didn’t know a lot of the songs, so I couldn’t really vibe. But my overall thoughts about the whole experience: I would rate it a 100/10. I loved the homecoming week and wouldn't want to miss it for the world.

by Magda Kreuzpointner

Published November 3, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue II

Homecoming takes on new shades through unique lens of exchange