Homecoming is one of the most widely familiar school events known across America that consists of five high-spirited days where students and teachers alike dress up in themed outfits and show off their school pride. From tacky tourist days, to dress as your favorite memes, kids represent their spirit for the upcoming sporting events. The much anticipated event has been a common American high school event for decades.
For most schools, Friday night is a football game, and the dance to follow. The dance is a formal dance where kids dress to the nines. At Park High, they take their own twist on the event by making it informal. After five dress up days, the students attend an assembly in which the grade that wins the student dodgeball tournament battles a team of teachers. After that, The student section rallies together in the stands in support of all of the sports as they compete on their own soil.
Clubs and other programs put on a homecoming parade for the Livingston Community. Following that is a BBQ, football game, and then students gather in the high school for a dance. In past years, there has been a significant drop in students that actually stay for the dance.
Senior Gray Hoglund-Mossman says her favorite year of homecoming was her freshman year. She says the reason it was her favorite was because people were more enthusiastic and excited about the games. “I think they should encourage the underclassmen to learn the cheers and have more involvement and interaction during the game” said Hoglund-Mossman.
What factor of homecomings since then made them not her favorite? Hoglund- Mossman says the stinky bouncy houses and the teachers picking the music are what dropped PHS’s homecoming reputation.
Hoglund’s idea to help promote homecoming this year was to remind people over announcements to come, and to hand out T-shirts/ free merch at games.
Hoglund also suggested having a contest of who has the best school spirit. To help keep homecoming a successful event for future years, Hoglund says to talk about it in a good light, and continue Powderpuff, Ironman, and Mr. PHS.
` One of the staff members in the school has experienced many of Park High’s homecomings as he graduated from Park High himself decades ago. Business/finance teacher and BPA advisor Reid Lende touches on the subject. Lende says he didn’t attend many of the sporting events when he was in high school, but he wishes he did. In his time, the sporting events in the fall were girl’s basketball, and although there were no soccer teams, PHS still had the Toga day at the end of the week. An old tradition the student council had hoped to bring back this year is the parking lot bonfire. The bonfire was a big hit, but the tradition was discontinued and will not be returning this year.
Lende attended PHS until 1996, then came back to teach at the middle school in 2005.
“There was a lot more spirit and participation,” he recalls. “The school Pride now is more conformed and ‘stupid’. Homecoming is all about being a community and there’s just not enough spirit,” says Lende. When it comes to the athletic nature of homecoming, Lende would agree that the spirit of the school spills into the athletics. “School spirit definitely helps.” Many PHS athletes agree for regular conference games, spirit is still very effective.
Overall, the school spirit hasn’t been an issue in the past, but with more recent years, there’s been a decline in students attending spirit week, and participation at events. The student council is planning on making the change to make homecoming just as historic as past years.