From September 27-29, students of all grades gathered at Libertville High School to celebrate Homecoming Weekend with events such as the dance, the parade, the football game, and the assembly.

One of the most exciting events Homecoming has to offer is the Homecoming dance. Every year, students of all grade levels get together to dance, take pictures, and have lots of fun. The dance this year started at 7:30 p.m. and went until 10:30 p.m., and was held in the main gym. Tickets were sold at the concession stand for $20 per person, and each ticket came with a superhero-themed cookie.

“This year’s dance had some pretty cool strobe lights and some really good songs compared to last year. The environment is just a lot of fun to be a part of. I would say Student Council did an even better job this year,” said sophomore class president Cam Chen.

Every year, students and staff members look forward to Homecoming Spirit Week, with a different theme for every day. This year, students had the choice on Wednesday’s theme by texting in with their vote during their homeroom period. Monday was Pajama Day, followed by Preppy Day, Superhero Day, Class Color Wars, and the week finished with Wildcat Spirit Day on Friday.

Another Homecoming tradition is the Homecoming parade. The parade included multiple high school clubs, teams, and different activities found around Libertyville. Floats started at the Metra train station and gradually made their way to the LHS parking lot. The parade started at 9:30 in the morning near the train tracks, and ran for about an hour.

Last Friday night, the Libertyville Wildcats took on the Warren Blue Devils in the Homecoming football game. There were concession stands along with raffles to participate in during the game. The Wildcats lost to the Blue Devils, 59-10.

To start off Homecoming this year, students were invited to the Homecoming Assembly at the end of the school day on Friday. The assembly included performances, fun activities, announcements, and of course, the Sweet Sixteen. The Sweet Sixteen included 16 senior girls being considered for Homecoming Queen. All 16 girls made their way across the gym floor with a senior boy as an escort to take their spot on the Homecoming Court. Spectators at the assembly could then text a phone number with their vote, determining the winner. Andrea Gattone took the crown as Homecoming Queen.

“In my head, I had already convinced myself I was not going to win. I was looking around the stage, and there were so many great girls surrounding me, so I knew I was cool with not winning,” said Gattone. “When they crowned me, the only thing I could say was ‘What?!’, because it was honestly a huge shock. It was a huge surprise to me.”