At the Park

Student Section Themes Illuminate Friday Night Lights

Luna de Stephanis Gines, Staff Writer

September 19, 2025

The student section on Wheeling Island is known for big crowds and big fun. This season, the dress-up themes set the tone for student spirit and celebration.

Last Friday, Wheeling Park High School faced Musselman High School at the Wheeling Island Stadium for a football game. Unfortunately, Park lost with a score of 14-21. But if we turn to the stands, Park was definitely victorious. Their cheer towards the players, the atmosphere and the outfits made that happen.

For the game, the theme was country: boots down, saddles up! When we think about that, we can imagine that in West Virginia, it is easy to find. Many people showed that spirit, and we truly appreciate it!

“The theme of this week was amazing, it was a very authentic West Virginia theme,” said Aria Swartz, a sophomore about last week’s theme.

As an exchange student from Spain, I noticed that sports events are quite different. When you go to see a high school soccer game, you don’t feel that energy or enthusiasm. One of the things I was most excited about coming here was to experience an American football game and feel that ambience.

“I find football games with the themes are really enjoyable, fun and festive. They transmit joy and without them they would be boring,” said the freshman Madison Brothers.

These themes give each game its own character. Thanks to that, games are not just games, they become more than just competitions; they’re also fun events where students can enjoy together and create lasting memories.

We already know the upcoming game’s themes: 9/19 Men in Black, 9/26 White Out, 10/10 Think Pink and 11/07 Alien Invasion. So, if you want to enjoy and have good moments with your friends while you cheer for Wheeling Park’s football team, come to the next game!

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About the Contributors

Luna de Stephanis Gines, Staff Writer

Luna de Stephanis Gines is a 15-year-old sophomore at Wheeling Park High School. This is her first year in the Park Press, and she is very excited to be part of the team. Luna is an exchange student from Seville, a city in the south of Spain, and she will be living in the United States for 10 months. She loves sharing her culture and learning new things, and she hopes to show her perspective through the stories she helps tell in the Park Press. She speaks Spanish, English, French, and Catalan. At Wheeling Park, Luna is also part of the Girls’ Soccer Team, where she enjoys playing soccer, making new friends, and being part of a team. She also loves listening to music and traveling around the world to explore new places. Luna is excited to experience American life, meet new people, and learn as much as she can. She looks forward to enjoying every moment of her time in the United States and making the most of this amazing experience.

Jo Gilbert, Sports Editor

Jo is a senior and the Sports Editor for The Park Press. She has an interest in pursuing screenwriting with an English degree after high school. She is an expert in argumentative writing thanks to her work on the WPHS Speech and Debate Team and specializes in Public Forum debate. On the team, she is the President of Debate and the Public Forum Squad Captain, and she is part of the 2025 Public Forum Debate State Championship team. She showcases expertise in a lot of different interests, ranging from WWE to fantasy novels such as A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City. She loves numerous TV shows and movies, such as (but definitely not limited to) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, Back to the Future, Scream, Jurassic Park, and many more. She loves all things Disney, Marvel, and DC; her interests are extremely vast and nerdy, but it is one of her best traits.