Every kid has the dream of becoming a star, and for this one day, they get to be that star. Homecoming traditions have been celebrated since 1914. Homecoming consists mainly of a big school dance and spirit week, involving activities such as the bonfire, capture the flag, an assembly, and many other activities.
Students of all ages ask others out to the dance in creative ways, such as taking big posters with messages on them, giving flowers, and even taking baskets filled with many things inside!
From freshman to senior year, the memories of the dance can change quite a bit. Seniors might find the homecoming dance much more boring than in other years or maybe more fun.
“My favorite part about homecoming is Spirit Week and [the] volleyball tournament because everyone gets hype for volleyball and creative,” said Perla Valdez, a senior this year. Yet, not everyone thinks the same way as Valdez does.
“My favorite homecoming event is the homecoming football game because it’s the one football game that almost everyone goes to, and I think that it’s super fun and exciting every year to get to hang out with friends,” said Hayden Pirela, also a senior this year.
Yet homecoming does not consist of only volleyball and Spirit Week; there are many more things that make homecoming a good time. For example: making memories with friends at events like the bonfire, capture the flag, the Homecoming assembly, etc.
“My favorite part about HOCO is having fun with my friends at the dance. Being part of a big group at homecoming is lots of fun, and it makes the experience a worthwhile memory. Every single year, I’ve had amazing experiences with my friends at homecoming, and I hope that this year will be the best out of all of them,” said Pirela. Friends play a big role at these types of events, and they make those memories much more special.
A couple of seniors summarized their years throughout homecoming in one word: “My freshman year was exciting. My sophomore year was introspective. My junior year was bittersweet. My senior year, I hope, will be a full circle moment,” said Pirela.
Another word that was used was “Pride – As the years progress, the more people build a reputation and establish a connection to the school,” said Eric Uribe. Pride has been a big part of homecoming, and it has grown a lot through the years.
How do seniors feel about this being their last homecoming dance? What are their feelings? “ I don’t feel much because I only went to one,” said Uribe. That is not the case with all seniors. “One thing which I will really miss about HOCO after these years is the unity behind it. Whether it be the pep assembly, capture the flag, the homecoming football game, or even the dance, there’s a sense of unity among everyone in the school which is really beautiful. And moving onto my next chapter of my life, that will be one thing I cherish and miss was homecoming week where everyone came together filled with school spirit and happiness for one another,” said Michaela Brennan, also a senior.
“I feel really nostalgic about this year being my last homecoming dance because I still remember my first homecoming and all the people I’ve gone to homecoming with over the past years. A lot of them either graduated or moved away, and some of them I haven’t seen in a long time, so it feels nostalgic that now I’m going to be the one moving away soon and going to my last ever high school homecoming dance,” said Pirela. Brennan and Pirela both have big emotions about this being their last homecoming dance.
For seniors, there could be many emotions that they feel because of this being their last Homecoming dance. Some might feel sad but others might just not care. Seniors have built up many memories throughout the years at Homecoming. Many seniors enjoyed Homecoming week and the dance. They enjoyed being able to spend time and make memories with their friends.
