By: Melissa Boyd (Whetstone staff writer)
Melissa Boyd
Homecoming is my favorite time of the year, at least when it comes to The Whetstone.
I know a lot of people seem to think I enjoy the stories that involve crime on campus, expulsions and all of the shocking news.
I do enjoy those stories – they give me an adrenaline rush that truly brings out the reporter in me.
However, Homecoming brings out a different type of reporter.
When I was a freshman, my first homecoming I walked around with my editor, Kim, watching what she did until she released me to go do my own interviews. I ended up talking to a Delaware senator, which was an unexpected source, and meeting some other really interesting people.
This year, I met alumni from the class of ’62, where one of the guys was on the first basketball team coached by Wentworth himself. I hadn’t even really thought about how Wentworth Gym was probably named after someone.
It’s the one time of the year that, not only do I meet alumni that support Wesley and help fund some of my scholarships, I also get to talk to the community members.
I love to see how excited the kids are when they’re diving in for the candy that our organizations throw out to them. I start smiling when I talk to the grandmother who was ecstatic to be at our Homecoming because her junior-high granddaughter was performing too.
The atmosphere is calming, enjoyable and, most of all, fun. Everyone has a story and I get to hear all of them.
Homecoming is exciting for most students – walking in the parade, watching friends in crazy costumes trying to show spirit towards the year’s theme, creating dances to show off in front of the amphitheater at the end of the parade – but it’s probably the most exciting for those who speak to the people around them.
There are so many interesting people and different exciting stories. It’s especially exciting to hear the alumni’s stories of the “old†Wesley and the Wesley I know. This year in particular, it was pleasing to hear how many alumni were excited about our new plazas because of the Streetscape project. I’m the lucky one – I get the chance to talk to these people and allow them to share their stories to the entire Wesley community.
So, yes, I love the stories that keep my adrenaline pumping – those stories that I rush out to talk to administration the very same day, run around like a fiend searching for student sources, and all of that.
But I also love the stories that make me stop and smell the roses, allowing me the time and pleasure to listen to the unique memories of the alumni at our Homecoming and allowing me the gift of hearing our students at their most exciting time of the year.
