The Homecoming parade and football game will be held on Sept. 19 on the streets around Homecroft. There will be different activities that students can be involved in throughout the week, such as spirit days, the parade, the homecoming floats and banner competition and the Homecoming dance.

Homecoming is the tradition of the community and school coming together, according to physics teacher Mrs. Stacy Matlock. Homecoming also welcomes alumni back to SHS. It’s a way for the school and community to come together to celebrate SHS, Cardinal spirit and the school year. This celebration happens once a year, but this year the class of 2004 will reunite. Any students who have already graduated from SHS may come.

“This is the way to show our pride, not only at the school, but also within the community,” Matlock said.

During Homecoming Week, the week of the Homecoming football game and dance, SHS will have spirit days during which students can dress up according to specific themes.

The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept.19, and the football game will start at 7 p.m. During the parade, there will be a competition between the various classes’ floats and banners. The banner goes along with the float that each class has to build and decorate. This year’s theme will be “Cardinals Take Center Stage.”  The judging of the floats and banner is usually before 4:30 p.m. Homecoming king and queen will be crowned on the night of the football game, and the winner of the float and banner contest will be announced during halftime, according to Matlock.

English teacher, dance team coach and junior class sponsor Mrs. Jessi Walpole says the main purpose for having Homecoming is that it is one of the biggest football games of the year. It’s a big day for SHS to come together as a community of current and former SHS students. The dance team will perform during the parade.

“To qualify for king and queen, they need to be good role models in the school, involved in some extracurricular activity and make pretty good grades,” Walpole said.

According to Walpole, her favorite part of Homecoming is the parade and seeing all the floats. She also enjoys the game and seeing all the people at the game. She says this event is just a really fun time for everyone.

Booster Club, Matlock and English teachers Mr. Sam Hanley and Mr. Brent Bockelman are the ones who help organize Homecoming, along with a lot of teachers and staff volunteering. Matlock says they all kind of put it together and organize the parade.

“My favorite part of this is probably seeing students having so much fun, because this is all about students,” Matlock said.

One of the nominees for Homecoming queen and vice president of National Honor Society (NHS), senior Paige Kidwell, says she did not expect to be nominated. Kidwell says she is surprised because she is not really popular, quiet and does not have a lot of friends. She had no idea this was going to happen and did not pay attention to Homecoming nominations but is really excited, according to Kidwell. To her, the purpose of having king and queen is to show the school the good role models and teachers want to reward them.

“I don’t think I will win, but I’m really happy that I have the chance to be nominated, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Kidwell said. “I really like everyone who was nominated, and I wish everyone good luck.”