Sixty years before Homecoming 2024, Newman’s Archivist Mrs. Genie Everett McCloskey ‘65 was crowned Homecoming Queen in 1964, marking a special milestone for an integral member of Newman’s faculty. In fact, Homecoming at Newman has evolved since it began in 1941, and Mrs. McCloskey has been key in preserving this special part of Newman history.

When the first homecoming began in November of 1941, senior football players chose the ladies of the court. To choose the Queen, tickets were sold in the name of each of the ladies on the court. That year, Evelyn Hodges ‘42 was crowned Homecoming Queen, and the Newman football team won their first ever game played at night. The next year, the tradition of the Homecoming dance was introduced, and the Queen and her maids (the other members of the court) presided over the festivities. By this year, the Queen was elected by the student body, and that tradition has continued to this day.

By the 1960s, the Court ladies (junior and senior girls) were still chosen by senior football players, while the Upper School elected the Queen and Maid of Honor. The ladies on the court would ask senior boys (non-football players) to escort them during the halftime presentation at Friday night’s game. On Saturday night, the senior football players escorted the queens and maids during the formal presentation of the court on the Henson Auditorium stage before the Homecoming Dance in the foyer. At this presentation, the graduate queen from the previous year crowned the new queen.

In the 1970s, the Senior Class began to elect both male and female members of the court, and members of the Upper School continued to choose the Queen and Maid of Honor from the members of the court. They were escorted by male alumni during the halftime presentation at the football game.

In 1985, the Homecoming football game and Court presentation occurred on Newman’s campus for the first time: on the new Michael Lupin Football Field. Two years later, the fathers of the ladies on the Court began escorting their daughters during the halftime presentation. 

By 1993, the tradition of the senior class selecting the Queen and Maid of Honor began. Newman US Science Teacher Ms. Rebecca Weatherall ‘97 described her Homecoming experience as a student at Newman in the 90s:

Three years later, in 1996, the Homecoming Spirit Stick was introduced for the first time at the Homecoming Assembly, created by Mrs. McCloskey. The Spirit Stick has enough one inch square brass plates to denote the class winners through 2058. Every year, Mrs. McCloskey has the class year and grade level of the winning class engraved on one of the spirit stick’s brass plates for the year they won. So far, freshmen have won it twice, sophomores have won it once, and juniors and seniors are tied, each winning it 13 times. The Class of 2005 holds the record for winning the spirit stick a total of three times: their freshmen, sophomore, and senior years. While the Upper School participates in spirit-building activities throughout the week, the Spirit Stick is awarded solely based on hallway decorations, decided by a panel of alumni judges. 

Nine years ago, in 2015, the first Homecoming King was chosen by the senior class along with the Homecoming Queen. There was no longer a Maid of Honor.

Fast forward to Friday, October 4th, when the Upper School gathered in the Henson Auditorium for the Homecoming Court Assembly, where each member was presented to the upper school with a short bio. The girls on this year’s Homecoming Court included: Eliza Pilant, Ella Aucoin, Claire Carpentier, Gwendolyn Gray, Maya Harris, Aria Jolly, Catherine Lapayre, Isabelle Wanek, Lucyna Wojcik, and Adrianne Zura. The boys included: Amar Walia, Dre Davis, Alexander Dulitz, Eli Friend, PJ Foster, Maslen L’Esperance, George Pipes, Nick Rezza, Justin Wells, and Nicholas White. That evening, each court member walked down Lupin Field with their parents during halftime of the football game, where Senior Class President Jacob Valentino crowned Homecoming King Amar Walia and Homecoming Queen Eliza Pilant. Homecoming King Amar Walia ‘25 reflected on his Homecoming experience:

Homecoming Queen Eliza Pilant ‘25 reminisced about Newman’s impact on her:

This was also a monumental year for Newman’s Upper School: After 18 years, the Homecoming Dance officially returned! After hearing interest from students about bringing back the dance, the Executive Committee sent out a survey to students to collect data to present to the administration. After over 80% of students expressed interest, the administration gave the plan a green light, and the PEP and Student Activities Committees began preparing for the event.

Upper school students gathered in the Tuohy Gymnasium on Saturday, October 5th in dressy attire and sneakers, and they had a great time socializing and showing off their moves on the dance floor. Overall, the return of the Homecoming Dance was a success! It was a great experience to bring the Upper School community together and celebrate our achievements so far this school year. Member-at-Large Alex Dulitz ’25 described the dance’s success:

To read more about Spirit Week 2024, click here.

Credit: A compiled history of Newman’s Homecoming and the Spirit Stick was obtained from Mrs. Genie Everett McCloskey ’65 from the Isidore Newman School Archives.