"A Midnight in Paris"

October 27, 2017

Homecoming is an annual event that sparks school pride within the students of Franklin Regional.

After the disastrous weather problems that canceled the annual bonfire last year, the clubs of this year took to changing up the usual layout of the event.

The bonfire this year was held in the lower parking lot at the front of the school, with each club getting their individual parking space for their booths.

But this year, homecoming wasn’t just about Panther Pride, but unity and strength as well.

After the events of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Franklin Regional decided to adopt and support three school in the Houston area that were affected by the super storm.

During the football game, any student that bought and wore a “Hurricane Harvey T-Shirt” got into the game for free.

The Panther Pit at the game showed their support by making the theme of the game “Hurricane Harvey” and wearing the shirts.

“[Wearing the Hurricane Harvey T-shirts] in the pit shows how we as a student body care about what happened. It brought us all together,” said senior Gem Gonzales, who participated in the theme of the game.

The homecoming game itself was a close call.

After being tied with Greater Latrobe 20- 20 in the last quarter, the Panthers pulled through with a last minute 37 yard field goal by kicker Domenick DiFalco, and making the final score of the game 23- 20, Franklin Regional.

The Panther band also showcased their halftime show, “We Need More Space” after the end of the game.

Performing in front of not just the crowd but also the Latrobe marching band as well, the Panther band featured excerpts from the popular movie series “Star Wars” and the iconic TV series “The Jetsons.”

“Playing in [the band] front of a crowd and receiving a standing ovation is one of the best feelings in the world. The fact that it was homecoming made it even better,” said senior saxophone player Rachel Stackiewicz.

It was during half time that the homecoming court, consisting of seniors Jocelyn Behr, Jess Brett, Madison Gianvito, Chrissy Kemerer, Sarah Restano, Sterling Simek, Ahmed Boukaabar, Jeremy Boyd, Cameron Helm, Shane Popko, Adam Renda, and Jake Trapanotto.

Ahmed Boukaabar and Sarah Restano were crowned king and queen for this year.

This year, the theme for the homecoming dance was “A Midnight In Paris.”

Pictures were held in the auxiliary gym and the gym and theater lobby were decorated to match the atmosphere of the romantic and cultural French capital.

The food choices for the dance also reflected the chosen theme for this year, with fluffy pastries and cookies being served for students to enjoy.

“I really liked the song choices and the decorations for the dance,” said senior Aline Piquard. “It made me feel like I was almost back home in France.”