Staff Writer
Both sides of Blake are filled to capacity; there are parents with their young children, old friends reuniting, students everywhere. There is a buzz in the air as the crowd anxiously awaits the start of the 102nd Annual Home Show. The cheerleaders start off the night with a routine of their own, and a few minutes later, the lights darken; the show that everyone has been waiting for is about to begin.
The gymnasts start running out, throwing candy and beaded necklaces into the audience. Their smiles make the audience smile; they are all excited to be putting this on. As soon as they finish throwing the goodies out, the show begins.
The show’s first number is the Rose Bowl. The gymnasts dress like football players and act out a couple plays before the announcer says it is halftime and that the halftime show is about to begin. The male gymnasts start by doing flips off trampolines. Before the crowd can get out of their state of awe, the lights turn off again and the next part of the show starts.
Next, black lights turn on and there are ribbons glowing in the middle of the floor. The gymnasts move them around to look like different shapes and designs. Again, just as the audience thinks they know what is coming next, the teams move on to the next part of their act.
The show is fast moving, no time to catch your breath or remember what just happened. “It keeps you on your toes,” says Walker Smith, a freshman who saw the show for the first time. “It keeps you interested the entire time.” The show throws things at you, whether it was the playful nature of the Valentine’s Day number or the intense, awe-inspiring parkour sequence that left the audience speechless. “I was shocked at how good it was,” recalls Hannah Cawley, another freshman new to the show.
Keeping the audience shocked is what has kept the Home Show going for 102 years. The show intrigues the students and makes the entire crowd want more. Even after students graduate, they come back every year on homecoming to see it. “I would definitely go back after I graduate,” adds Cawley.
Women’s gymnastics coach Cheryl Raymond said before the show that the goal for the Home Show is to “keep it special every year.” The performance was breathtaking and unbelievable. Walking out of Blake Gymnasium, all you could hear were the attendants raving about how the show was so “awesome” and “amazing.” The goal of being special was met and surpassed. The 102nd Annual Home Show is one that will be talked about for a long time and will not be forgotten.
Nick Lovett may be reached at nlovett@springfieldcollege.edu