Six-inch heels lie abandoned while their owners party it up on the dance floor. Friends greet each other and exclaim over how nice everyone looks. Jaguars survey the crowd and feel a sense of camaraderie with their peers. The homecoming dance is a chance for students to party, but it’s also about something bigger than a school. It’s a way for Buda’s community to come together in celebration of itself, honoring every student, parent, teacher, and community member.
The JHS homecoming celebrations featured dress-up spirit days, a parade Oct. 1, pep-rallies Oct. 1 and Oct. 3, a football game Oct. 3, and a dance Oct. 4. With all of these events, students had a myriad of opportunities to demonstrate their Jaguar pride and show their appreciation for the school’s community. Thousands of people, including students, staff, parents, and community members, were involved in one or another of these celebrations, demonstrating the central role that JHS plays in Buda’s community.
American homecoming traditions began in the late 19th century as colleges established celebrations to welcome alumni back to the community. Over time, these traditions grew to include a football game, parade, dance, and homecoming court, which became so popular that they spread to high schools and colleges all over the United States and Canada. At Johnson, homecoming is a chance for students to dress up, relax, and enjoy a night out with friends.
The community parade provides a chance for JHS clubs and organizations to promote themselves and the school. Students appreciate the chance to represent their groups.
“It’s really fun to represent choir because I feel like our school doesn’t know we have choir, but then also fun because we get to show our school pride before homecoming,” Senior Serena Turnbull said. “We can show off our organization and show what our school offers for people that are interested in participating in clubs.”
During the parade, students and community members alike can admire the colorful props, floats, and uniforms on display.
“My favorite part about the parade is seeing everyone else that’s participating and seeing all the floats, and the [Homecoming] court and seeing our community come and support our school,” Turnbull said. “The tennis float is really cool.”
Two days after the parade, students got together again to crown the homecoming court and cheer for the jaguars at the homecoming game. Although Johnson’s football team lost the game, students still enjoyed going to the game to socialize and watch the halftime show, when dance, band, and color guard performed.
“I think dance did so good. I always loved our dance team,” sophomore Lizzy Martinez said. “I got to sit with my friends, and we had a lot of fun; we were talking the whole time.”
After a week of preparation, the day of the dance finally arrived. Some people took all day to work on their hair, nails, and makeup, while others took just 30 minutes to get ready. Some people sat and chatted quietly during the dance, while others commanded the dance floor. Jaguars spent homecoming in a variety of ways, but ultimately, people were just happy to see each other.
“I’m excited to see everyone else dressed up,” Turnbull said. “It’s fun to see everyone not wearing regular school clothes.”
