Once a year, the Lancer community comes together to show school pride alongside alumni. Homecoming is a tradition where former Linganore High School (LHS) students come back for a night of football to show support for their alma mater. For some students, however, it is the Saturday night after that really matters.
On September 27, Linganore hosted its annual Homecoming Dance. Students grades 9 through 12 were invited for a night of dressing up, taking photos and dancing. The dance primarily takes place on Main Street and in the Cafeteria. Students also have the opportunity to go outside for snowcones as well.
While the dance officially started at 7 p.m., most students were already celebrating hours beforehand. Getting ready for the dance, going out to eat and taking photos with friends is all a part of the Homecoming experience.
“I got my nails done by one of my friends that week,” said LHS junior Valeria Molina. “Then, hair and makeup and the rest was all that day.”
When the LHS students finally got to the dance, they were bombarded with decorations on all sides. Each year, the dance has a new theme and this years‘ was bright and bold: neon.
A lot of preparation went into setting up for the party, with individuals from the Student Government Association (SGA) and class council advisors arriving at 8 am to prepare. The volunteers helped put up posters and set up tables. The entire set up took approximately four hours, with the volunteers finally getting to go home around noon and get ready for the dance themselves.
“I decided to help out because as a student leader, especially in the senior class, I wanted to give our class the best Homecoming we have had,” said Linganore senior and Class of 2026 Vice President, Kyle Nicholson.
The volunteers put down tables that had palettes of neon paint, put up colorful streamers and hung paintings in neon colors of each of the current classes’ graduation years.
The dance itself took place over the course of three hours, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Water, snacks and music were all provided by the school. There was even a backdrop where one could have photos taken, courtesy of Victor O’Neill Studios.
As the annual event reaches its peak, all students were asked to clear the dance floor for the Homecoming Court. Freshmen through juniors each picked two students to represent them, while the seniors had eight, including the Queen, King and the new addition of Princess.
The freshmen representatives were Tarra Buczek and Tyler Miller. For the sophomores, Pranav Kumaresan and Addison Randow took center stage. The juniors, who got to wear the Homecoming Court sashes, were Valeria Molina and Jeremias Romero.
The Class of 2026 was represented by Brady Easterday, Ryland Kirk, Casey Kirby, Alex Thomas, who were all members of the court. The other three seniors had special rules as the King, Queen and Princess: Ben Teslenko, Gina Morrison and Chloe Coccia.
The class courts got to walk on the football field at the Homecoming game prior to walking at the dance the following day. The members of the court are given sashes and dress up, then are announced by grade level. For Thomas, who had been on the Homecoming Court each year, it was a heartfelt moment.
“I felt very honored to have been voted by my grade to be on Hoco court again,” said Linganore senior Alex Thomas, who had been voted onto the homecoming court each year since 2022. “It felt very closing, like I had finished something, when I walked at the football game.”
Around 10 p.m., when all the festivities began to wind down, students gradually began to head home. The celebration of the LHS football team’s win against Walkersville the day prior, mixed with the excitement of the day, led many to look forward to the tradition for the following year.
“I liked the DJ and the music,” said freshman Arianna Ruiz-Castillo. “Next year though, I would definitely turn off the lights.”
To read more about the 2025 Lancer Homecoming week, click below. .
