On Feb. 6, Anzar held its first ever homecoming celebration. A
rally ended the day and began festivities consisting of a parade,
girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball games and the coronation of a
king and queen, as well as princes and princesses from each class.
For weeks prior to the event, students, teachers, coaches and club
advisors planned and built floats for the parade, which took place
immediately after school in downtown San Juan Bautista.
On Feb. 6, Anzar held its first ever homecoming celebration. A rally ended the day and began festivities consisting of a parade, girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball games and the coronation of a king and queen, as well as princes and princesses from each class. For weeks prior to the event, students, teachers, coaches and club advisors planned and built floats for the parade, which took place immediately after school in downtown San Juan Bautista.
A bus was provided to transport students from Anzar to the parade route and back to campus for the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball games. The coronation took place after the girls triumphed over the Gonzalez Spartans, but before the boys were defeated during their game.
During the rally, the royal court of 2004 was announced, along with winter sports teams, class competitions and a performance by the cheerleaders. Adrienne Monroy and Bethany Ellison were announced as the freshman prince and princess, Aaron Panaro and Amy Knight as prince and princess of the sophomores, Michael Welden and Jennifer Benson as junior prince and princess and three couples were announced as senior princes and princesses. The couples were Austen Muesel and Elsa Vallejo, Victor Ramirez and Alex Hennager, and Matt Wilkinson and Katie McGowan, who were later crowned king and queen between the basketball games.
Floats were entered in the parade, representing student activities. MEChA’s display earned the Principal’s Choice Award, while the junior class float “Juniors Invade Mars” won the Most Outrageous Award.
Other clubs, such as the Kite Flying Society and debut of the Iconoclast Society, represented themselves through creative and artistic expression. These conjoined societies distinguished themselves by blasting music powered by a generator and reciting classic scripts and speeches. The club advisor, Greg Braithwaite, thoughtfully declared that the float was a moving piece of art.
The day before the parade, art supplies, especially paintbrushes, were in short supply. The school managed to pull together and get by with the materials available. Junior class advisor Marilyn Brieling said she feels we have learned from this year and next year will only be better.
Many students are excited about this new event, but there are others who are uncertain about its implementation.
Junior Sarah Al-Ahmed said, “It’s a traditional activity in an untraditional school … popularity doesn’t mean much to students here, people aren’t normally into that sort of ‘king and queen’ stuff.”
Traditional high school events, such as homecoming, can only be an asset for making Anzar a regular high school.
“We need it because it’s a good experience to attract more people to Anzar,” said sophomore Josh Lind. “This will help draw in more students from the area and encourage the ones we have to remain at the school.”
Such events will improve school spirit and raise the student’s moral, because, for once, we have something just like every other high school.
As sophomore Ian Faurot-Daniels affirmed, “It helps us be like more of an average high school.”
Homecoming will be an addition to what is at Anzar, rather than what isn’t.
While homecoming is a step in the right direction, it still reminds students of what they are missing. Junior Flannery Fitch claims, “It’s weird, since it’s not for football.”
While junior Nick Brown said, “It’s cool because we’re doing it, but we don’t have a football team.”
Juniors Rachel Waller and Sam Stewert have somewhat differing opinions as well.
“We don’t have a football team!” Waller exclaimed, while Stewert admitted it’s “better than nothin'” with a shrug and grin.
When Anzar can offer the same social draw that other high schools have by truly supporting dances and student events, it will raise school spirit.
“It makes us feel like there is actually something going on at our school,” junior Treva Crocker said.
“I like that we get to get involved in stuff like that,” senior LeAnna Hardy said.
When the students don’t feel like they are “being gypped” out of the social experience of other high schools, they will take more pride in being an Anzar Hawk.
“I think it’s good, it promotes school spirit,” junior Lizz Westwood said.
Al-Ahmed agreed, “Typically we don’t have much school spirit. It’s good school spirit.”
Anzar Director Charlene McKowen said it is neat and effective in promoting school spirit.
“What I like most is that I see people smiling about it. It’s a group thing,” McKowen said.
McKowen also noticed the impact the event had on the community of San Juan Bautista. She said seeing the shop owners stop to watch the parade helped reach out to the community. The homecoming parade was a way of showcasing our high school, building the relations between school and the community.
True, Anzar is unique because we do not have these events, and the faculty has done well to make sure that there is as much equality between the students as possible.
“I think (homecoming’s) wonderful!” declared librarian Paul Stampleman enthusiastically. “They’re all kings and queens!”
Choosing a king and queen or prince and princess will undoubtedly leave some students with disappointment, but that is part of the whole high school experience nearly everyone goes through. Who can blame the staff for trying to save students from the abrasive social structuring of teens? Disappointment can be a useful learning experience students will draw from as adults, the way today’s adults may draw from their own high school experiences. High school shapes students into the adults they will become.
Overall, it is obvious the students of Anzar want to be involved in these traditional activities, so maybe it’s better if Anzar students live their own high school lives and learn about the disappointment, or the joy, of it on their own.
Brittany Conrad is a junior at Anzar High School.
