Bass bouncing through the floor, vibrations rising through your feet, dancing bodies pressed all around, teenagers jumping through the hot air. The epitome of homecoming.
Homecoming allegedly started in the 19th century and though many colleges (Baylor University, and the University of Illinois) claim to have founded the tradition, it’s believed that it was the University of Missouri.
According to an article titled The History of Homecoming by Eliza Brooke in Vice, “The University of Missouri claims to have invented homecoming in 1911, when Director of Athletics Chester L. Brewer had the bright idea to invite alumni back to the annual game against the University of Kansas—he further sauced things up with a spirit rally and parade.” This was to renew excitement in the rivalry and, since the alumni were returning, the tradition was dubbed with the name “homecoming.”
According to the Mizzou Alumni Association, “That first call to ‘come home’ drew a crowd of 9,000-plus — and it’s grown ever since.”
At first, it was just college campuses that did spirit rallies and parades before the game. Soon after, everyone wanted in, and it spread to high schools across the country.
“Homecoming is an essential part of the school experience,” Arcata High sophomore class president John Adams said. “That’s an honest opinion. Homecoming is the essence, I would say, of all things school. [It’s all about] getting involved with school and doing things with your school and with your community.”
Ultimately, many students think you get as much enjoyment out of the celebration as you desire. Though it is a week jam-packed with events, that’s not everyone’s idea of a great time.
“I think it’s fun and it gives a lot of experience for high school life. I mean, if you don’t have any friends [homecoming] might be bad, but going with your friends is really fun,” AHS junior Jenna Renteria said.
Though homecoming is popular throughout the country, every high school has its unique traditions. For example, in Texas, students make items called mums. It’s similar to a corsage, but is larger and has much more material. If you search “Mums in Texas” and go to photos, you can find many portraits of people featured with their exciting and inventive creations.
Here at Arcata High, we do things a little differently than in Texas. Our dress-up week leads up to the main events. We have a parade with costumes, floats, and candy on the main day of the homecoming football game, which is happening this year on Friday, October 6th, 7:30 – 8:30 PM at Cal Poly Humboldt University. The dance follows right after, going from 9 – 12 PM.
“It’s everything you ever see in pop culture in high school in one night,” Adams said. “One special night, for some.”
Make sure to show up and show out!
