On Centre: Around Philipsburg

School spirit comes alive

Lori Falce

"POHS, POHS, our alma mater dear, your sons and daughters raise a song to honor your own fair name. We thank you for the happy days we spent as students here. Long shall we cherish your ideals as the years bring us joy and fame."

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You don't think, as you sing that on the band bus on the long road back from Tyrone, that one day, in the not-so-distant future, there won’t be any more band bus, or math class, or high school. That the only thing that can bring you home is homecoming.

On Friday, the Philipsburg- Osceola Mounties will take the field against St. Marys. But for many people, the game is the least important part of the week. It’s great to win homecoming, yes, but there’s so much more to the week than just numbers on a scoreboard.

For the kids, there’s a weeklong crush of activities at school. This year’s theme is “Mountie America,” and each day has a dress-up theme. Hawaiian Monday. Texas Tuesday. All culminating in the full-on school colors on Friday.

Don’t know what P-O’s colors are? Just like Penn State, if God’s not a Mountie fan, then why is the sky blue and white?

There will be the voting for king and queen, and I hope P-O continues its tradition of picking a homecoming queen who is sweet and nice, not just popular and pretty. I just found the queen from my senior year on Facebook, and she’s every bit the sweetheart she was 20 years ago. The royal couple will be crowned on the field at about 6:30 p.m. Friday.

But that’s the thing about homecoming. The coming home.

For Wednesday’s parade, snaking from the high school to the Powerhouse Fields near Memorial Stadium, past grads who lined the streets and remembered when they spent two days praying it wouldn’t rain so the crepe paper wouldn’t melt off the junior class float.

We will turn up for the game, and some of us will turn up for more than that.

The Mighty Marching Mounties are inviting alumni to come back for an evening to join the band on the field for the pre-game performance of the alma mater and the fight song, and in the stands for the rest of the game.

About 15 alumni have signed up so far. Interested graduates should contact Valerie Stiner at vmckayst@pomounties.org so music can be prepared. Those who need to borrow an instrument or baton or silk can also get in touch.

Homecoming is a reunion without the stress. It’s all of the fun of high school with none of the homework. And it’s here. Go Mounties!

Lori Falce writes a weekly column featuring news and happenings in the Rush Township/Philipsburg area. Send comments and suggestions to her at sendlorinews@gmail.com.