Midwood Community Steps Up with Homecoming Parade

The band led the Hornet faithful on a one mile march from the school to the field. *Photo: Kamil Kraszewski*

By DIANA ANISHCHANKA, JOAN HUANG, and SOPHIA LIN

The Midwood community came alive with school spirit and pride as they gathered at 10:30 a.m. on Bedford Avenue on a crisp Saturday morning, October 28, to kick off the annual Homecoming Parade. Students, led by a marching band with lively music, made their way toward Midwood Field to watch the Varsity Football team face off against Bayside High School for the Homecoming Game.

The parade was colorful and loud, playing “Full Heart Fancy” by Lucky Chops. Students from different school clubs and groups walked together for the one mile journey, wearing “white-out” outfits and carrying school flags. Spectators on the sidewalks cheered them on. It was a morning filled with excitement and happiness.

The marching band was the star of the show. Their drumbeats and instruments boomed in unison, and their formations were impressive.

“School spirit, especially around sports teams, is absolutely important,” said Daniel Cleek, a senior who plays the trumpet in the band. “When kids from the school come to the game and show up in support, the team starts to feel more included and connected with the school.”

Among the marchers, Michelle Murillo ‘24 said, “Homecoming is a special time for us to come together as a school and show our Midwood pride.”

Even our mascot, Howie the Hornet, joined students outside.

As the band entered the field near Avenue K, they played “Full Heart Fancy” one last time. The football players, showing their Midwood pride, put on white face paint, embracing the white-out theme for Homecoming. With the sun shining on the field, they appeared in their white outfits, creating a striking and unified visual impact.

“The white really stood out,” said Adreinne Mercado ‘25.

As everyone marched to the field, Cheer Captain Leanne Newman ‘24 beamed with pride. “We have different cheers that we’re going to be doing,” she said. “And we are all so excited to perform them.”

“This is amazing,” said Principal Robert Quinlan. “It’s really nice to get the community here, the cheerleaders, the band, the step team.”

Howie the Hornet poses with students, who are “whited-out” in support of the football team. *Photo: Kamil Kraszewski*

The exceptional performance from the band, which played eight songs in total, really set the tone for the football team. The game was certainly something that shouldn’t have been missed, with Midwood dominating the field for a 28-14 win [see full coverage in our sports section].

As running back Jaydon Rose ‘24 opened the game up with a score for the Hornets, the crowd burst out in excitement. “My friends and I jumped up from our seats screaming after he scored the first touchdown,” said Angel Chen ‘24.

Every time Midwood scored, the band played “We Will Rock You” by Queen, adding to the energy in the stands. The Hornets took the score to 20-0 by halftime, which featured a performance by the step team.

“It was a fun game,” said Rose. “It was very exciting to play against a good team, especially when a lot of people on the stands were cheering us on.”

“Homecoming turned out absolutely perfect, and the weather [a sunny 75 degrees] was just the icing on the cake,” said Dr. Quinlan. “The custodial staff, school safety, APs, the teachers and coaches involved, it takes a big team effort to get all the pieces going.”

The band only had about two weeks to prepare but came out sharp.

“I think it went great for the time given,” said Adrian Perez ‘24. “The band was amazing. I'm just very happy with how it came out.”

“The whole week we were preparing for the Homecoming Game,” said freshman Diyora Khidirova. “The spirit was up and it was very exciting. It turned out to be better than I expected.”

Can the parade get any bigger? Dr. Quinlan thinks so. “I want all 4,000 students here next year,” he said.