As October finally arrives, schools are starting to celebrate homecoming festivities. Many schools have a football game and a dance afterwards. However, what does an all-girls school like Padua Academy do when they don’t have a football team? They have a volleyball game, of course! And instead of a dance, Padua held a ‘Harvest Homecoming’ tailgate in the Café on October 3, following the exciting game against St. Elizabeth. 

When walking in, you could tell that the majority of the athletes and fans that watched the preceding game had come downstairs to celebrate. Even Varsity volleyball assistant coach Rainbow Shaw-Giaquinto, known to Padua students as ‘Mrs. G.’, came down with her kids to hang out. “It’s always great to come down and have some food with the players, coaches, and the spectators that really cheered us on during a big match, and to see all the supporters of Padua Academy,” she says. “The Harvest Homecoming was a great idea, and I look forward to it next year.”

Even potential future sisters of Padua came to the Harvest Homecoming tailgate. Jenna Newton is a 7th grader at St. Mary Magdalen and hopes to attend Padua in the future. “My first impression of Padua is that everyone is really smart,” Jenna states. “I really like the Harvest Homecoming, it’s really nice. It’s a really big celebration and anyone, no matter who you are, is invited.”

Volunteers served everyone hamburgers and hot dogs, along with chips and sodas. Bake sale treats were very popular and some sold extremely fast. But what’s a tailgate without games? Student council provided face painting, KanJam™, Baggo™, and Blongo Ball™ for kids and students, and even some adults joined in on the fun. A raffle basket filled with Padua gear was also a big hit. But the star of the show, in most eyes, was the gold banner on the stage. The banner, saying “Welcome Home C/O 1965,” was in honor of the 1965 graduates 50th reunion that day. It displayed the names of current Padua students and was a great gift for the alumnae.

Even though the Harvest Homecoming isn’t common in most high schools, it’s a tradition at Padua. Students and faculty love it because they get to come together to enjoy delicious food and have some fun. The Harvest Homecoming was, and always will be, a great success.