Adjusting the channel on homecoming
Students from the Starr’s Mill French Club participate in last year’s homecoming parade. This year’s theme is cartoons and TV. Aspects of this year, however, have changed. No dance or parade will be held, and dress up days and hallway decorations are limited.
October 2, 2020
All staff and students have tweaked tradition to create as much of a homecoming as possible, despite COVID-19 guidelines.
The week of homecoming typically includes hallways decorated according to the year’s theme, varied dress up days, and a long parade down Robinson Road and Redwine Road. For the cherry on top, students pack the football stands and the court is crowned. Celebrations end with a dance in the gymnasium.
This year, the dance has been cancelled due to the pandemic and concerns for the student body’s health. There was talk of an outdoor rendition, but the idea was shot down by sponsors. The parade has also had to be cancelled due to social distancing concerns, because parades tend to come with crowds.
Whitney Shoemaker, head of Student Government Association, is making due with new policies. This year, the theme for Homecoming is TV and cartoons. Students have still elected their peers for homecoming court, and the court will walk onto the field at the Starr’s Mill homecoming football game. Instead of couples, underclassman students will walk out alone, but seniors will walk with their parents.
“It is what it is,” Shoemaker said. “It is the best solution we can come up with in order to make it happen.”
All students are invited to participate in the dress-up days, but not required. Oct. 4 and 8 will be decades day, where 9th grade dresses in 50s attire, 10th grade in 60s, 11th grade in 70s, and 12th grade in 80s. Oct. 7 and 9 will be character day.
“However, we are doing hallway decorations. Instead of decorating the hallways, we are decorating the doors,” Shoemaker said.
Dances in the future will be hit or miss, because only time will tell the duration of quarantine and the pandemic. SGA President and senior Mary Jane Gagliano hopes that other classes will get to experience dances to the normal, lively Starr’s Mill standard.
“I would hope that this pandemic goes away before the next homecoming rolls around,” Gagliano said.
Despite the changes in homecoming tradition, administration and underclassmen hope for a prom in 2021, but there are no guarantees. Until then, students can enjoy the festivities despite the changes.
