Although many residents think of homecoming and surrounding festivities as an event for students, the original purpose of the celebration was to welcome alumni back to the school they attended.
The weeklong activity, which includes pep rallies, bonfires, parades and competition, is intended to bring students and the community together to celebrate high school days of the past and present.
However, interest in the activity has steadily declined in Carbon County, according to Carbon High School assistant principal Melissa Hamilton.
And the assistant principal should know since she attended Carbon High.
“In a small community like ours, it’s a shame we haven’t been able to keep up with our alumni as well as we should,” commented Hamilton. “Homecoming really is about the alumni so we’re trying to get alumni involved.”
In 2004, in an effort to revive and increase the county’s school spirit, Carbon High’s homecoming events will encourage student and community involvement much more than in past years.
The event will begin with the reintroduction of the gold brick.
For people who once called Carbon High home, the tradition of the gold brick is a rich one. Students would band together as a class and try to win the coveted award through a variety of homecoming competitions. The ultimate goal was for a class to win the brick all three years of their high school tenure.
As emphasis on tradition began to fade, so did the gold brick. Hamilton estimates that sometime in the late 80s, the gold brick was eliminated from the celebration. This year, though, the gold brick is up for grabs to the most spirited class.
In addition to lunchtime competitions such as pop chugging and hula hooping, three main competitions will determine which class will remain in possession of the brick until the next year.
The first competition is the design and decoration of the class floats, which will be judged by the Carbon County Commissioners. Second will be the amount of students that participate from each class in the various activities. Third will be the best hallway decoration, which each class will design around this year’s theme of “Building Traditions – Past, Present and Future”. The halls will be judged by the mayors of surrounding Carbon County cities. Classes will also be judged by the cleanliness of their specific hall.
Community and student activities will begin Wednesday, Oct. 6, with the powder puff football game. Females will represent their respective classes on the football field while males will take their turn on the sidelines cheering on their team.
The winner of each timed game will play off for the championship title.
On Thursday, Oct. 7, the bonfire and pep rally will being at 8:30 p.m. and is open to all Carbon High students and fans.
The Friday, Oct. 8 events will begin at 1 p.m. with the grand parade on Main Street, where classes will exhibit their floats for judging. An alumni open house will take place later that evening beginning at 5 p.m. in the CHS Grand Canyon Hall. All Carbon High graduates are invited and light refreshments will be served. The hall will be decorated like a scrapbook with homecoming memories of the past.
At 7 p.m., the Homecoming football game against Ogden High will begin. During quarter breaks and halftime, alumni from each decade will be recognized.
Carbon High alumni with Homecoming facts or memories are encouraged to e-mail the homecoming committee, carbonhigh@hotmail.com.
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