Homecoming tradition has held strong for generations of  Ross High School: students are divided into grades, they build floats and are judged based on several different categories. But for a time (nearly the first three weeks of school), it didn’t look like the senior class of Ross High School would have a place to build their yearly class float at all.  After much debate and reluctance, through many discussions with administrators about alternatives, they have finally been issued one.  Prior to this development, I interviewed senior class president CJ Blades to see how much effort he was putting into creating the float, as well as finding a place to construct. 

CJ said,  “I think it’s a waste of money and time.  I feel that there are things in this school that need to be changed. Doing the same thing every year isn’t addressing the students’ needs and wants.”  CJ received $600 of class funds for building materials at the beginning of the school year, but he had a plan for that as well. 

“I’m going to spend some of it on homecoming and things the students actually want.  Not a stupid float that no one cares about that we lose every year,” Blades stated. 

One might think that the reason for his overwhelming urge to avoid building a float altogether came from the lack of a site, but Blades assured me that it’s only partially because of there not being a place. “If someone had offered to let us use a place I would have done it.  I just don’t believe in it.  I want to do stuff for homecoming and stuff [sic].  Things people actually care about.”

            In a random survey of 95 seniors, 90 of them stated that they would much rather that the float not be built and that the money be used for Homecoming instead.  One of the main reasons for their indifference was that “we lose every year anyways”.  Two of the five opposing viewpoints came from regular float-constructors.  Cody Wheeler said he thinks they’re the only ones who would truly be upset by the absence of a float.

            This seemed to be the way things were heading until some of the teachers caught word of the seniors’ plan. Ms. Farris, the Government teacher, stated that, “To some people... this is a huge deal.  They have solutions to not having a house, and you’re not going to like them.”  Luckily, the seniors were issued a building site by administrators in the absence of their own: the old middle school parking lot. 

             I talked to new principal Mr. Martin and queried his opinion on the topic. He had a very calm and understanding demeanor as he said, “My stance is that the float is part of tradition. It’s been going on for a long time and it’s important to members of the community.  I understand the desire to change that tradition for future years, however, those things take time.”  Mr. Martin seems to really care about the students’ thoughts on the float.  He also told me that he would take the seniors’ word into consideration in the future. 

            This is certainly a change of pace for us here at the high school.  It isn’t very often that a portion of the student body openly opposes a school tradition or rule and is actually heard.  It means we may actually be seeing a change in homecoming tradition within the next few years, but for now it looks as though things are going to stay the same.