Amid complaints from students and parents, the Roseville High School student government class met last Wednesday to discuss the 2009 homecoming theme, Beat of the Drums. Among those present at the meeting were class advisors and officers.

      Beat of the Drums was chosen among four contenders for the homecoming theme. The theme celebrated distinct four tribal cultures, each of which was assigned to a class for the class competitions.

     However, a decision was reached to alter the theme to better fit the needs of various ethnic groups of the RHS community.

     “We decided to make the theme more geographically based rather than focusing on a specific tribe,” said RHS student government advisor Ron Grove.

     According to Grove, the revision of the theme would ensure that the student’s interpretations of it would be more open-ended.

     “People can interpret it any way they want now,” said Grove. “There was concern that some groups would be offended, but hopefully we’ve appeased that.”

     Senior Morgan Dimnytaz, who came up with the theme, agrees.

    “I think that it’s kind of a bummer, because I thought that it would have been something that brought everyone together,” said Dimnytaz. “But I can understand how some groups could get offended.”

     Concern that the theme would be racially controversial reached the upper echelons of the administration.

     “We received calls,” said RHS vice principal Jon Coleman. “There was concern that we would not represent the ethnic heritage of these groups appropriately on our floats and in our decorations.”

      Coleman believes the alteration of the theme will be sufficient to ward off future distress.

      “I think that we’ve addressed the aspect of the theme that was causing worry among our student body and parents,” said Coleman.

        Even with the somewhat public uproar from their peers, some RHS students did not see the harm in the original theme.

     “It’s understandable how some people could get upset, definitely,” said RHS junior Logan Ripley. “But I personally wasn’t offended by the theme.”

     Grove maintains that the revision of Beat of the Drums was out of respect for various members of the RHS community.

     “We want to emphasize unity and respect on campus,” said Grove. “That’s what Roseville High is all about.”