Homecoming is one of the most popular events that happens during the school year. What some people do not know is that two of the girls on the Homecoming Court are not being voted for the princess and queen.
So who are they and what court are they on?
They are the representatives from Montoursville who are going to/ or have gone to the Flaming Foliage Festival and Laurel Festival.
The Laurel Festival is held every summer in Wellsboro, PA. In honor of the blooming of our state flower – the Mountain Laurel. This year the festival took place from June 8 to June 16.
The PA State Laurel Festival consists of pageants, arts and crafts, races, concerts, and of course a two-hour-long parade.
This year senior Naomi Alexander was Montoursville’s representative at the Laurel Festival.
Alexander was surprised when she found out that she had been voted as the Laurel Fest representative.
“I had no idea, it was in the middle of the day, I was in class, and [Miss Emily] Sweeney and [Mrs. Jennie] Crawford pulled me out and they told me that I was chosen to represent at Laurel Fest,” said Alexander. “It was like everything happened so fast because when I got my papers I had to turn everything in the next day or the next two days so I was freaking out.”
“It’s so pretty there, the town of Wellsboro is so cute. When I got there I met all the girls but immediately clicked with these three girls. But it was very different because I have personally never gone to the Laurel Fest, so I didn’t know what to expect when I got there,” said Alexander.
When asked what her favorite memories were from her time at Laurel Fest, she had a specific memory.
“The first day when we got there and we went to the PA Grand Canyon, it started to pour and there’s this photo of me with my jacket like wrapped around my head. So that’s a core memory for me,” she said.
“Also being in the parade, there were like five of us [who] sat on one float together,” said Alexander. “We all were just laughing and talking the whole time, and I mean you’re in a parade, so it was really fun.”
The Flaming Foliage Festival was held from Oct.11-13 in Renovo, Pennsylvania.
Senior Karleigh McKenna was the MAHS representative at the 2024 Flaming Foliage Festival.
McKenna said she was beyond excited when she found out that she was chosen as the Flaming Foliage representative.
“I quite literally ran around Miss Sweeney’s room because I was so excited,” McKenna said.
“It was really great, I had a lot of fun,” said McKenna when asked how her experience was there.
“All the other girls that competed against me were such amazing people,” said McKenna. “But probably my favorite moment was the Ball that we had, my escort Brady Cohen made quite the friends there and they made a dance circle and it was just so much fun.”
Alexander and McKenna both offered pieces of advice and tips for future Flaming Foliage and Laurel Festival representatives.
“Just be yourself! They don’t look for the person that is perfect and the best at everything, they look for the person that is the most genuine. Don’t forget to truly express who you are as a person,” said McKenna.
“I think a lot of people forget that you’re there for the experience and not so much the pageant portion of it, so honestly just enjoy it because at the end of the day the things that you’re going to remember the most are the people you meet there and the events and experiences that you get to have,” said Alexander.
“Be confident in who you are,” said McKenna. “Use this opportunity to speak about who you are.”
Now one might wonder, how are the representatives chosen?
It is the teachers and staff at Montoursville who vote on who represents the school at these festivals.
A series of teachers were asked what they looked for when voting for the girls to represent Montoursville at the Flaming Foliage and Laurel Festivals, and they all gave similar answers.
“I look for the girls to be kind, well-rounded, and respectful,” said Miss Rebekah Lundy, English 10 and English 11 teacher.
“They don’t necessarily just have to be good students, I look for those who are involved in a lot of activities,” said Lundy. “I also think it’s super important that they’re just fun people in general.”
“Character, integrity, and hard-working girls are the ones who I vote for. The girls who are also kind to those around them are the ones who tend to get my vote,” said Miss Amanda Walter Honors Biology and AP Biology teacher.
“Integrity and respect” are really big factors to Mr. Cody Pavlick, STEM, Environmental, and AP Environmental teacher.
“The students I look to vote for are not always advanced academically but more that they are compassionate individuals,” said Pavlick.
Plans are already underway for the 2025 Laurel Festival, which will take place June 14-22.
Then later on during the fall of 2025, the Flaming Foliage Festival will be held, but the date has yet to be determined.
Featured photo (at top): The 2024 Laurel Festival court poses for a group picture. The girls spent their days, from June 8 to June 16 representing their schools. Photo provided by Naomi Alexander
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