MUSHY MARAUDERS

The Andalusian Follows Marauders From Homecoming Proposals To Dance

BY KATE BULLOCH

As the month of October rolled around, students on campus were beginning to think about their future plans for homecoming. This time of year always calls for new dresses, slick suits, fancy hairstyles and most importantly, fun and creative homecoming proposal signs. While homecoming may encourage people to step outside their comfort zone and ask a date to the dance, this fun experience can bring many nerves. Lots of pressure can come from making a catchy sign and finding a date. Although proposing can induce some butterflies, these students embraced the time of year and participated in the tradition of homecoming proposals.

To start off the proposals for the year, freshman Ryder Marks asked freshman Gray Burleson to homecoming, referencing one of her favorite stores, Lululemon.

“I knew I wanted to ask someone, and she was the one who came to mind,” Marks said. “We have been friends for a long time.”

While the sign was inspired from Pinterest, Marks selected the Lululemon theme because he knew it was special to Burleson and her love for the brand.

“The sign was very sweet,” Burleson said. “I was surprised and am so excited to go.”

This next homecoming proposal was a favorite around campus. Sophomore Brad Gerrish approached sophomore Aileen McAbee in the courtyard with his personal and sporty sign. Gerrish’s sign wrote, “My lax stats would be better if I weren’t always distracted by the girl keeping them, Hoco?” This sign, which referenced Gerrish’s position in lacrosse and McAbee’s role as a lacrosse stat keeper, left the sophomore girl flattered by the sign and immediately saying “yes.”

“We spent a lot of time talking on the bus to and from lacrosse games and really connected,” Gerrish said. “I knew I wanted to add something about lacrosse in there.”

Their friendship made it very easy to ask, leaving Gerrish not too nervous.

“I was so happy,” McAbee said. “I thought the sign was so cute because I did not expect it to be about lacrosse.”

Soon after the underclassmen proposed, junior RJ Hosay asked his girlfriend, junior Peyton Crumpler, with a sign referencing her love for the beach. Hosay’s sign read “I shore can sea myself at hoco with you?” Crumpler was pleased with the sign and Hosay’s effort.

“I absolutely loved his sign because it incorporated something he knows I love: the ocean,” Crumpler said. “I also know how hard he worked on it, so it made me love it even more.”

Hosay did not have a lot of trouble coming up with the idea, and was happy to add in something he knew was special to her.

“She really loves the beach,” Hosay said. “I knew I wanted to make it beachthemed.”

For the final stand-out proposal of the season, senior Eli Paddack asked his girlfriend, senior Turner Beshears, to homecoming by baking her favorite banana bread dessert. He officially asked her by spelling out “HOCO?” in chocolate chips within the dessert. Beshears was pleasantly surprised by the proposal.

“I was really shocked and flattered when he asked me,” Beshears said. “Since we are dating, I felt like it was a mutual agreement that we would go together. Eli knows me well and knows that I secretly really wanted to get asked. It was really sweet and I felt very thankful for him.”

After two years since the last homecoming dance, these couples and attendees to the Marauder Palooza dance on Oct. 16 were once again able to finish off the homecoming festivities spending Saturday night with their friends and dates. At the dance in Cartee Gym, students were able to party with glow sticks, enjoy the music and food and celebrate the end of Maclay’s 2021 Homecoming.

“The dance was really fun,” Beshears said. “Eli got in town late from an interview, but once he got there, we had a good time dancing.”

Although the seniors had a great time at their final homecoming, the dance was full of students of all ages enjoying the night. “It went amazing,” Hosay said. “Everyone seemed to have fun at the dance, but I wish they had a slow dance.” junior referencing read you?” and because it love: know me trouble happy special Hosay beachof asked Beshears, favorite asked chocolate was flattered “Since mutual Eli secretly really last and dance finish spending dates. were the end of Beshears an had a time at full night. “Everyone