This year’s homecoming is anticipated to have notable differences from previous years. With changes from how royalty is elected and the date of homecoming itself, it brings changes to how students expect to experience the event.
In the past, candidates have done charity baskets where candidates would sell baked goods and other snacks, but this year, changes are being made to comply with certain legal guidelines.
Teresa Gooch, one of the coordinators for the dance, said, “There [are] some USDA guidelines that we have to follow, and so because of that, we’re only allowed a certain number of days where we can just ignore the system. So the selling of food throughout the day is something that, while this happened [in years past], wasn’t supposed to [happen] in the same way. So we’re just looking at it to happen a little bit differently this year.”
Candidates will sell their goods at sports events and will be paired with another candidate who may choose to support the same charity or a different one. Along with the change to how sales are made, only cash will be accepted for payments.
Gooch said, “We’ve been told that the business office wants it to be cash only…They’ve [also] told us that somebody has to be with every candidate, like an adult, salaried adult, to supervise.”
With new procedures not only to royalty and fundraising, but also the when and how, Hickman expects new changes in how homecoming unfolds.
Leslie Schnieders, the student council sponsor and assistant coordinator of the dance, said, “This year for the first time, we’re [having the dance] on a Thursday night… The big question is, why are we doing the dance on Thursday?… Only having four [football] home games makes it very difficult to find a homecoming dance time period, and [the] Saturday we would have had the dance [on] was booked with other things. We’ll see how it goes with the change of the dance to be on a Thursday night, but [the following] Friday is a day off.”
Despite the shift in scheduling, organizers are still optimistic about turnout and the overall experience.
“We’re expecting a really good crowd. One of the big hits from last year was the outdoor venue where we had live bands. We already have three live bands lined up,” Schnieders said, “We do think the benefit this year is that homecoming is about a month earlier, so it should be a little warmer [when bands are] outside.”
Looking beyond the logistics, the tradition of homecoming itself still holds strong for students.
Schnieders said, “Homecoming always seems to be a really big deal, because it’s the first dance of the year, and we typically have really good attendance.”
With new rules, a new date, and new challenges, this year’s homecoming promises to bring the same excitement in a fresh way.
