This year’s Homecoming Week was packed with activities such as Spirit Week, the pep rally, the parade, Friday night’s homecoming game, and the crowning of the Homecoming Court all helped make the week feel full of school pride. From October 13 to 17, NHIS Student Government sponsored a Spirit Week Pep Rally with a cheering contest and lip-sync competition, a Parade, and Halftime festivities featuring the Homecoming Court.
The winner of the Spirit Week was the 8th graders. While students and staff participated in the events each day, the event brought some criticism.
For middle school students, participating in Spirit Week can be tough. Since they are required to wear uniforms every day, dressing up is not always allowed.
“The only thing I would suggest changing for next year is Spirit Week. Make it one day, and allow the middle school to actually dress up on this day. Spirit Week is not really what it’s supposed to be when we can’t really dress up on the day of. It is getting a little out of hand and misunderstood, I think,” Firestone said.
Many students and teachers see Spirit Week as simple dress-up days, take a photo, and submit it. While it is a competition between classes, its real purpose is to build school spirit and let students have fun.
One of the most exciting parts of Homecoming was the pep rally. Students packed the gym to cheer, compete, and perform. The pep rally included games, activities, dance numbers, and the popular Lip Sync competition. For many, this event stood out the most.
“My favorite part of Homecoming would be the pep rally because it was interesting and fun to see everyone at our school all together,” said ninth grader Ezra May Alavazo.
The Lip Sync competition especially impressed both students and teachers.
“Performance, energy, fun. I was impressed with the creativity from each grade level,” said student government advisor and AVID teacher, Robin Kitsu.
The parade was another major part of the week and required extensive preparation from the student government, class councils, teachers, students, and even the community.
The parade route from Nānāikapono Church to the school is almost a mile uphill, and that makes the march tiring for many participants. One idea, according to Kitsu, is to change the route to start at NHIS and end at the Nānākuli Village Shopping Mall.
Friday night’s varsity football game against Aiea brought even more excitement. The whole week built up to this moment. Even though NHIS did not win, the crowd stayed strong and proud, supporting the team throughout the night.
The 2025 Homecoming Court performed their dance, but the process was not always easy. Missing members, last-minute practice changes, and creating a routine in a short amount of time made things challenging. Still, the court pulled through and delivered performances at the pep rally and at halftime during the football game.
The overall winner of the Homecoming Competition were the 7th Graders.
Overall, this year’s Homecoming Week was filled with spirit, fun, and teamwork. A huge thank you goes out to Student Government, class councils, class advisors, teachers, and everyone who helped make Homecoming a success for all students.
