MVHS school counselor and CHS ‘04 alum Clay Stiver made sure to attend every Homecoming football game. Despite not being on the team, his passion for the sport and friendship with the football players drove him to always show up.
“The game always seemed to be the most fun, the most packed,” Stiver said. “The team really wanted to win, and were very competitive. I enjoyed the other parts of Homecoming, the rallies, and activities, but I mainly enjoyed the sports and the football game.”
In his senior year, Stiver stepped out of his comfort zone and actively participated in other aspects of Homecoming by dressing up during Spirit Week and dancing in front of the school during his class skit. Despite his lack of interest and skills, Stiver recounts how proud he was of himself after learning the choreography for the skit.
“It was my senior year, my last homecoming,” Stiver said, “I was like, ‘I’ll put myself out there. Give it a try.’ I had friends doing it, so that really got me into it. It made me wish that I had done more my freshman, sophomore and junior year.”
Stiver retains his love for Homecoming by being an escort for Homecoming court, judging skits, working the scoreboard at football games and being a class advisor. He says he enjoys watching students at rallies or the football game sharing their school spirit. However, he has noticed a decline in Homecoming attendance since he joined MVHS as a guidance counselor in 2009.
“I just wish more people would attend the football game,” Stiver said. “I feel the spirit, but a lot of people aren’t out there watching the skits like they would in the past.”
