Thomas More Prep-Marian readies for Homecoming festivities

On this episode of the Post Podcast Thomas More Prep-Marian Alumni Director Wanda Billinger shares details of this year's Homecoming festivities.

 

Transcript:

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James Bell 

Thomas More Prep-Marian has another homecoming celebration on the way. Alumni Director Wanda Billinger stops by to share the details on this episode of the Post Podcast.

 

Wanda Billinger 

Homecoming is my Christmas. I love just seeing all the people coming back graduates and their families that just the camaraderie, but everybody's doing what's going on. It's just fun. No, absolutely.

 

James Bell 

You guys have I'm just a I'm sure a regular slew of events for this weekend right

 

Wanda Billinger 

we do we do. To start off our our bonfire is Thursday night at eight. They'll introduce the homecoming candidates and all of that kind of stuff. The SticO pick the theme of SOR s o ar and that stands for strength, ownership, acceptance and respect. For homecoming candidates are landing Rosina and Julian Juliana bio Ballman. Landon is the son of Travis and Jill worth class of 96, Rosina and Juliana is the daughter of Justin and Michelle Baldwin. Michael Hale and Jenna Schleyer. Michael is the son of Steven and the late Amy Hale and Jana is the daughter of Mike and Michelle 97. hurtle Slayer. Cade Harrison's Sophia Alan Kay is the son of j and Chris Harris. Sophie is the daughter of math class of 2001 and Lindsay is in the class of 2003 Steinert Ellen Jensen, brule and Janessa Peiffer Jensen is the son of Jeff class of 94 and Julie classic 96 Mater Brule. And Janessa is the daughter of Jay in the late Bobby Peiffer Garrett photo and the Aaron Shelby Garrett is the son of Brian class of 90 and Amy and Aaron is the daughter of Eric. Okay. Garrett is the son of Brian class of 90 and Amy photo. And Aaron is the daughter of Eric class of 92 and Kelly class of 1992. Photoshop Adobe. Those two are first cousins. And then this year we have picked Jean and Teresa flax are our grand marshals. Everybody knows them both. Jean was our football coach and idea TMP and he's now think He's the assistant principal at Holy Family.

 

James Bell 

And then he was he was on with us. And then

 

Wanda Billinger 

Theresa F Flex is a former teacher at Holy Family. So two very, very, very good people. They help us out with so many things. So I told you about the bonfire and then Friday we have open house at school and we'll do school tours. We'll be selling our TMP apparel also. So if anybody needs any clothing for the night, they can come out to school and buy it. Four o'clock is the parade lineup. 530 is the parade begins seven o'clock is the football game versus Scott city. And we're thrilled to know as of right now, yay. Sounds weird saying that. was played really hard. And then nine o'clock we have our individual class reunions. I won't go through all the world class reunions are big, takes too long. But if they want to call out to TMP at the Alumni Office, we'll be able to give those to that's also on our website. And I don't know what TMP website.

 

James Bell 

I tell people nowadays, if you just Google's tip. Yeah,

 

Wanda Billinger 

all you have to do. It's very easy. I can even do that part. We have those all listed. And this Your Honor classes 50, your class of 72, the 40 year class of 82. And the 25 year class of 97. My babies in that class. Oh yeah. It's 25 years. She's in her 25 year class for you and my son just turned 50 this year. So I'm feeling pretty old right now. We're doing we will we will announce our point of light awards this week, which I can't tell you that right now. But our other awards that we're going to be doing at halftime are the Distinguished Alumni Award. And this year's winner is dawn and Deb Klaus Dawn is the class of 69. And we're going to do the 21 year cause Gerald 78 and Rosie hemorrhage event. They got the distinguished alumni award last year they were unable to attend they had planned to do something in Colorado and they were doing our jack shrimp Spirit Award. And those awards are Keith words Shelton rents and Terry roath. They built my trailer that I pull my clothing around football games and stuff. And Randy 74 and Nadine 74 Gottschalk so that's what I got for homecoming. Very cool. So we have a lot of, you know, come out to school, we'll, we'll take him around and show him you know, the new all the new things going on. We're going to be they're starting gonna start a renovation of the third floor for the sixth graders that are be coming over here in this next school year. So a lot of things happening at school, all positive things so we're just working away hoping everybody comes back this weekend. Seems we have a lot of entries in the prayer pray it's gonna be long allow countries

 

James Bell 

I You know, I like laundry.

 

Wanda Billinger 

I do. It's crazy.

 

James Bell 

I was I was talking to somebody just the other day, when I lived down in Oklahoma. I interviewed in a small town outside of the metro. And he'd grown up in the metro. And he he said something to me. He's like, when I moved here as a young man, it was very exciting to me to learn that parades are a real thing. Like when you grow up in a big city, and then probably even some smaller communities, too, but, you know, I think it's very special. We have the ability to do this parades, and they're so in haze, they're so well attended. And everybody gets so excited.

 

Wanda Billinger 

You come down seventh, you turn the corner on 17th Street, and you look down and you're going, Oh, my God. I mean, it's just from there to the pool, to the swimming pool at the other end. I mean, it's crazy. But you know, these communities around here, like your basketball games in your football games for like, Ellis Victoria here. Everybody goes, there's nobody in town. You know, everybody's at the football games or the basketball games. I mean, it's entertainment, but you support everybody and it's just fun. Absolutely. It's fun when you play somebody that's close, like wrestler, you know, all those places, because we're so well attended on both sides. And it looks, it's great. The atmosphere was fun. Absolutely. Then our second thing I want to talk to you about is our military appreciation. This Following that is the following Friday night after homecoming.

 

James Bell 

Okay, so this is the The weekend looks like September 29 and 30th.

 

Wanda Billinger 

Right, right. We will have a dinner in the dining hall at 630. Anybody who was in the military, who attended TMP or anybody that has gone are the cadets rather SGMA cadets, and anybody who is a TMP grad who's in the military, you're welcome to come, we will have a supper. And they will hand out the the vets hand out the jerseys to the football players. It's really it's just, it kind of gets to the heartstrings. I'm emotional about stuff like that. So I really love that part of it. And then Fridays, the game and then we bring everybody in the military in their divisions, like if it was Navy, Army, Marines, all those we lined them up together and they marched out onto the field. And then we do a little program type thing. And it's just honoring them. Who wouldn't be for our military, we wouldn't be here. Absolutely. Pretty much. Pretty simple and whatever. But we really appreciate all that they do. And being rsj ma cadets being our school for so long as a military school just brings a little special that escapes us, I think.

 

James Bell 

Absolutely. Yeah. And I love that you can honor the history of that. The Military Academy, you know, alongside the current kind of mission. We

 

Wanda Billinger 

had a crack platoon back in the day who marched in Denver. I think also in Kansas City. They won national awards. Oh, wow. It was really special. That very cool.

 

James Bell 

Well wonder anything else that we want to hit on before we go?

 

Wanda Billinger 

Well, ice will be coming around the corner. I'll be starting to bug you. A couple of months I'll be out begging again. So the thing I seek to do best. Other than that, just thank everybody for their support. Come out. Have a good time. Haven't join us on our everyone's