Homecoming week set to begin

After close losses at Marion and Wynne, the Blytheville Chickasaws believe that the best way to return to their winning ways is by getting back to Haley Field and taking care of business when the Greene County Tech Golden Eagles arrive for homecoming. And judging by the excitement of the Blytheville High School student body toward homecoming, "winning ways" could be just what the Chickasaws are in line for.

Homecoming Week officially kicks off at BHS on Monday morning, and student council sponsor Michelle Hardy is eager for her students to take leadership roles regarding several of the activities. "The feedback on homecoming this year has been so positive," she stated. "The students and teachers are definitely excited. We have had more students involved in Student Council this year than ever before, and there seems to be so much school spirit. I truly believe this will be one of the best homecomings yet."

The Homecoming Week theme is "Mission: Impossible, Chickasaw Nation", which Hardy said the students love because, like in the "Mission: Impossible" movie, the hero fights his way through many adversaries and obstacles before eventually winning in the end.

Spirit days, with the students dressing similarly to their favorite participants, will start Monday with the "superhero vs. villain" clothing. "Throwback Tuesday" involves the students dressing in the clothes of students from the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. Wednesday is Disney character day, and students will dress Thursday during class color day according to their classification. Seniors will wear the colors gold and white, juniors pink and blue, sophomores silver and black, and freshmen camouflage and purple. Spirit Day is Friday, and the students will dress in maroon and white.

An automobile will be furnished at approximately noon on Monday, with students allowed to take swings at the car for one dollar per swing. All proceeds will benefit the student council. The automobile will remain on the BHS campus all week, and on Friday afternoon it will be moved to the parking lot across from Blytheville Middle School so that various citizens can take out their frustrations on it.

The powderpuff football game is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m., pitting the female students against each other in a flag game and the players serving as coaches and officials. Admission will be one dollar per person, with the money being used by the student council for expenses related to the prom next spring.

Hardy went on to say that each of the students will be responsible for decorating a BHS hallway, with various community individuals to judge the hallways on Friday. In what has become a tradition at BHS, seniors will beat the Chickasaw drum throughout that entire day. The homecoming pep assembly will be Friday in the BHS Gym at approximately 2:30 p.m., which will include the presentation of the maids and their escorts and the crowning of the homecoming queen.

The Homecoming Parade will be Friday at 4:30 p.m., with various students and citizens riding on the the floats, classic automobiles and motorcycles, which begins near Cobb Funeral Home on Main Street. Contact Jackie Plunkett at 762-9799 for more information about the parade. The BHS classes of 1985 and 1990 have reunions next weekend, with an abundance of fans tailgating on the BMS east lawn next to Haley Field about one and one-half hours before the Eagles-Chickasaws kickoff.

Finally, pre-game festivities featuring the homecoming queen and her maids escorted by their male relatives will be presented at approximately 6:30 p.m., with the football game to start immediately afterwards. The Spirit Stick winner will be announced during the game's second half.