The smell of the freshly cut grass, the flip of the
cheerleader’s ponytail, the roar of the crowd. ‘Baler Homecoming is
upon us.
For San Benito High School students the excitement has been
building all week. Each day has brought a different display of
spirit for the students, from dress-up days to pumpkin-pie eating
contests.
Homecoming president Corryn Pacheco and chairperson Cheryl
Mackie have been working tirelessly for the past six weeks to pull
off what is now a celebration of gargantuan proportions.
The smell of the freshly cut grass, the flip of the cheerleader’s ponytail, the roar of the crowd. ‘Baler Homecoming is upon us.
For San Benito High School students the excitement has been building all week. Each day has brought a different display of spirit for the students, from dress-up days to pumpkin-pie eating contests.
Homecoming president Corryn Pacheco and chairperson Cheryl Mackie have been working tirelessly for the past six weeks to pull off what is now a celebration of gargantuan proportions.
“I haven’t even had time to get my homecoming dress I’ve been so busy,” Pacheco said. “I’m overwhelmed; it’s so much to think about.”
The stress of organizing the homecoming rally, parade, football game and dance is worth the end result – having a great homecoming.
The week of the game is peppered with spirit-rousing activities, of which San Benito High is famous for, Mackie said.
“All the other high schools are so surprised at how spirited our high school is because everyone gets involved with everything,” Mackie said.
The day of the game is extremely busy and festive, beginning with a homecoming rally in the morning. Because the school is so large, about 2,700 students, not everyone can fit in the gymnasium for the rally.
A ticket system is set up so students have to obtain a ticket for admission to the rally.
“We have some of those people who are anti-school (activities) and they don’t want to go,” Mackie said. “(The ticket system) is a good thing because people have to fight for a ticket and it makes it really fun.”
Different clubs and groups perform, and the students play games. Nominations for princesses and queen and king are showcased.
The homecoming parade, in which students get to display their hand-made floats in front of community residents, takes place at 1:30 p.m. down San Benito Street.
The parade, which only consisted of a couple of kids in pick-up trucks several decades ago, has now grown into a mini Macy’s Day parade for these students.
“So much work is put into them because it’s a competition between classes and clubs,” Pacheco said. “The French club really goes off – last year their float was awesome.”
This year’s theme, ‘Baler Scary Movies, has gleaned floats inspired by Jaws, Frankenstein and friends and Scooby Doo, among others.
The most important and beloved part of the festivities hasn’t changed during the years. The football game is still the most exciting thing to do on a Friday night.
“The football game is the biggest,” Mackie said. “A lot of people don’t want to go to the dance or the rally, but everyone goes to the game.”
The large amount of spirit makes the youth excited about going to school, and it makes people want to get involved, Mackie said.
“It’s tradition,” Pacheco said. “We’re making people happy to go to school and proud to be a ‘Baler.”
