At Center Grove, homecoming is an annual tradition celebrated by many in the community, students and alumni alike. The homecoming festivities have been mainstays at CG for years now, including the Homecoming Court, fall dance, and the football game.
This year, however, the festivities might be different from what attendees are used to. Changes have been made to the celebrations, with the addition of a community festival and changes to the Homecoming Court.
In the past Homecoming Court nominations have been controversial because at times they have been used to bully students or make light of the honor.
“It’s going to be very similar to before. Students will still vote through Google Forms, but the first round of students will be chosen by teachers, and then the student body will handle the votes afterwards,” junior Spirit Committee Chair Addi Siner said. “For years now, we’ve had people not willing to [be on] Homecoming Court even though they’ve been nominated, because at our school it’s almost been framed as a joke. It’s not taken seriously, and people don’t want that light shined on them.”
Now, with the new voting system in place, event organizers hope that students will once again see the Homecoming Court as a way for students to honor those deserving of the award.
However, Homecoming Court isn’t the only change. STUGO is organizing a Community Festival the weekend before Homecoming week.
“Our original goal was to do a community parade, but when we found out that wasn’t possible for this year, we thought this would be a good alternative,” Siner said.
The Community Festival will involve several clubs from across the high school, with each club contributing unique activities.
“It’s geared toward elementary schoolers, and it’s being hosted by all Center Grove clubs,” Siner said. “We’re going have a bounce house. They’re going to be chalking the school, the [parade floats] will be displayed and there’s going to be face paint. Basically, almost every club is going to have a booth with different activities.”
The Community Festival will be hosted outside the Hall of Excellence on Sept. 21 from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
