On to victory – our first homecoming experience

On the 4th of October, the students and teachers of the advanced English courses in grade 13 had the opportunity to spend an evening at the US Military Base in Baumholder and watch the high school homecoming football game between BUCS and Brussels.

At 5 pm, we started our journey to the base after meeting in a nearby parking lot. To our dismay, we ran into trouble as our documents, which are essential for entry, weren’t transferred to the officers at the gate, so we feared that we were going to be rejected. Thankfully, our host convinced the officers to make an exception and grant us permission to enter.

Immediately upon entering, the environment felt very different. After parking our cars, we made our way to the football field, where we sat on the bleachers and took in the foreign atmosphere. Some high school students nearby introduced themselves, and we had a short conversation with them as the players completed their warm-up on the field.

Before the game, everybody rose for the national anthem, and military personnel marched across the field carrying the American flag. Finally, it was time for kickoff, and cheers began to rise. The excitement even carried over to us, and soon we were joining in on the spirit.

During the halftime break, we were allowed to explore the surroundings, where some of us bought food and sodas at Popeyes or the nearby bowling alley.

We returned for the second half of the match, and again, tension rose in the audience, amplified by the cheerleaders’ chants and cheers.

As the final whistle echoed, it was clear that the BUCS had won. The audience applauded them for their victory as their classmates stormed the field to congratulate and celebrate the players. Afterwards, we drove back to the gate and made our way home.

In hindsight, the trip was a great experience for all participants. We will gladly cherish these special moments in our memories and are hopeful that we will be able to maintain the connection with the high school students. At last, we especially want to express our gratitude to Megan Dean, our host, who went to great lengths to make this event possible for us.

(Hannah Berndt and Katrin Kremer, E LK1)