For any team, it’s tough to lose at home. At home games, you expect tons of support and energy from the stadium to help you walk away with a win, but this wasn’t the case for the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, Oct. 13. The Chargers were defeated 24-17 on their home turf by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a stadium that was filled almost entirely with Steelers fans.
To make matters worse, the person in charge of the music for the stadium played “Renegade” by Styx, which is a popular song played at many Steelers games. The song was interrupted halfway through by the song “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley as an attempt at a practical joke on Steelers fans.
Chargers fans and players were confused as “Renegade” played over the speakers, as they knew this was a song used by the Steelers in their home games. Chargers running back Melvin Gordon said,“I don’t know what that was. Don’t do that at our own stadium … It already felt like it was their stadium … I don’t understand that.”
The Steelers felt confident and comfortable, because this was no longer an away game; this was a home game. This is a really extreme example of something that I find important in life. It is so important to be able to feel at home.
When I was in third grade, I participated in the thrilling sport of little league baseball, and my mom was always my biggest fan. She would scream from the crowd, “That’s my baby!” and whistle and clap and cheer at the top of her lungs. My face would turn red, and I remember wishing I could change my name and move to an unnamed country when this would happen, but deep down it was nice to have someone cheering for me.
As I participated in so many other things growing up, the thing I loved most was theatre. It was something that I was proud of. My mom was still my biggest fan as she would come to every performance, even if it had been her 14th time seeing the show. She would also always have something to give me after the show, whether it was a rose, a card, a bag of popcorn or a hug. This meant the world to me, because even if I wasn’t the lead role, I knew my performance was appreciated by my mom.
A few months after coming to Harding, I landed the role of Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,”and I remember being so excited about it being my first college production. Out of the several show dates we had, my mom was only able to come to one. I really enjoyed getting to see her that first night, but the other nights were really hard for me as other cast members were being greeted by their friends and family, and I awkwardly waved at the occasional person I knew.
It was in moments like those where I felt like I wasn’t playing in my home stadium. However, as more productions were put on, I developed really close friendships with other students at Harding, and they came to my performances. Even though I wasn’t greeted with roses or cards, they were there for me, and they took time to see something I had done. They made me feel at home.
Homecoming weekend is such a beautiful experience for so many reasons, and I think the most important thing is found in the word homecoming itself. A home isn’t the place where you live, as there are many people who don’t feel at peace where they live now. Home is the community and the people in your life who are there to support you. Home is where your conversations with friends can last for hours, but you can’t spend more than two hours in a car with your family. Home isn’t a place, it’s a group of people who are truly present in your life.
As you go throughout this Homecoming weekend, watch the musical, attend the football games and meet new family. Let’s make this campus a home field for everyone.