Everyone’s welcome at Ramona High Coming Home Night

By Pixie Sulser

Fall in Ramona brings a slight temperature drop in the mornings, a coolness to the evenings, Friday night high school football games, and Ramona High School Homecoming festivities. Oct. 22 through the 27th mark this year’s Homecoming Week.

The community is invited to Coming Home Night on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Ramona High School staff parking lot. Party Rental World in Poway, the company supplying the carnival-like rides, is owned by 1996 RHS alum Holly Whittlesey, and the photo booth is provided by the Photo Time Photo Booth Company, owned by 2006 alum Brittney Perdew.

The evening’s activities will include a dunk tank, a trampoline jump, a merry-go-round, Mind Winder, an inflatable slide, and a mechanical bull. Drinks and food may be purchased at a variety of booths sponsored by the classes and clubs of RHS. Everything, food and rides alike, are paid for in tickets purchased at the parking lot entrance.

Coming Home Night is a fairly new tradition started in 2007 as a result of the Witch fire.

“The fire started right before Homecoming Week that year,” said Associated Student Body Director Mona Snodgrass. “The entire town had been evacuated and locked out during what would have been our week of Homecoming festivities. When we were allowed back home and school resumed, we (ASB) didn’t want to give up on the floats that had been started or the activities that had been planned, and we felt the town needed a way to reconnect after the devastation of the fire, so we came up with the idea of a Coming Home Night.”

Many community members may remember the homecoming parades down Main Street when townspeople would line both sides of the street to catch a glimpse of the class floats and homecoming royalty, but due to the increase in county regulations and costs, the annual parade had to be put to rest.

“The time and energy we use to put into the parade is now aimed at making Coming Home a truly fun night in which the entire community of Ramona can participate,” said Snodgrass. “We have something for everyone! It’s a wonderful night for the community and helps various groups and clubs around campus raise funds for their programs.”

Homecoming excitement will continue Friday night, Oct. 26, as the Bulldog football team takes on Torrey Pines. The junior varsity game begins at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity contest at 7 p.m. Homecoming is not complete without the crowning of the 2012 King and Queen, which will take place during the pre-game activities of the varsity game at approximately 6:30 p.m. The king and queen will be chosen by student vote from the following senior princes and princesses: Justin Sojourneer, Brandon Fitzpatrick, Henry Flecker, Shay Alwan, Josh Plunkett, Cassidy Shields, Jennah Hickle, Mikayla Derochie, Hannah Tucker, and Sara Kosut.

The newly crowned king and queen of Ramona High School will be supported by a court of underclassmen consisting of: Junior Prince Jonathan Doulgeropoulos and Junior Princess Caitlin Doulgerpoulos, Sophomore Prince Dylan Shields and Sophomore Princess Maggie Mellecker, and Freshmen Prince Arnold Phu and Freshmen Princess Hannah Farhat.

“Besides exciting Bulldog football, we have fireworks planned after the royal coronation and again at the end of the ‘Super Bowl-like’ halftime performances put on by the RHS cheerleaders and dance teams, and the band and flag team,” said Snodgrass.

The royal court will reign over Homecoming Dance on Saturday.

‘Blasting to the Past’ Fireworks Extravaganza

Ramona High School will be “Blasting to the Past” as students end Homecoming Week activities with a Fireworks Extravaganza at the football game on Friday.

The celebration will include four shows of fireworks. Associated Student Body Director Mona Snodgrass provides the approximate time and length of each fireworks show:

•Coronation Ceremony, 6:45 p.m., 30 seconds

•Team Entrance, 6:55 p.m., 30 seconds

•National Anthem, 7 p.m., 30 seconds

•Halftime Show, between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m., three to five minutes.

“Being a good neighbor, we wanted to make sure that all in the vicinity of 1401 Hanson Lane are informed about the noise during this special evening,” said Snodgrass. “We invite all of our Ramona community to come out and join us for what will be a spectacular evening of football, friends, fun, and fireworks.”

For more information, contact Snodgrass at 760-787-4128.