Homecoming: the act of returning to your home or to a place that is like your home. It is an annual celebration for high school students that includes sports games and a formal dance. Specifically in Texas, there are many different festivities to take part in such as mums and garters, dress up week, and the homecoming football game. However, as years go by, traditions change and events evolve. And with Lake Ridge Homecoming around the corner, it gives students excitement and teachers nostalgia.

While homecoming is a celebration, for some it can feel a little stressful. For AP Literature Teacher, Christopher Peralta, homecoming time was nothing short of hectic.

“That whole week was very busy. We had a big pep rally before the game and there was a before-the-game bonfire that we had that proceeded to the actual homecoming dance. It was a lot of fun, however it was a busy week for the school. But it wasn’t a major deal for me.,” said Peralta.

Lake Ridge Teachers come from many different places around the globe, therefore, different teachers celebrate homecoming differently. Some teachers dressed up like the royal court, in honor of the homecoming theme and some wore cowboy boots and a hat, in honor of Texas. No matter the tradition, homecoming still stayed the same in terms of crowning a queen and king. For Student Teacher, Maria Perales, her school traditions varied.

“I went to a school in Fort Worth so everything was country, there were boots, hats, and cowboy themes. We had the typical dress up days. Like that whole homecoming week, we were able to dress up as a royal court or like a child. I did the royal court dress up day, so I was able to wear a dress and heels and feel like a princess,” said Perales.

Homecoming is a time to feel a sense of community and pride in one’s school. Head Basketball Coach, Donte Wilson, sees homecoming as something deeper for his school than just a royal court.

“Pride. Being a McKinney Lion, it meant something. There were games you couldn’t make it to, but you at least tried to make it to homecoming game to show that pride. Homecoming was something we looked forward to, because we knew that that was the one game that we got to see most of our friends. We had a big pep rally and it was not much different than it is now,” said Wilson.

While Lake Ridge students can look forward to the festivities included within the week, some teachers recall how much they enjoyed their homecoming week while they were students long ago. AVID teacher, Anthony Sheppard looked forward to taking part in homecoming activities and considered them a highlight of his high school experience.

“It was a big part of the football season. I was on homecoming court a couple times, so it was a big deal for a lot of football players as well. It was something everybody looked forward to, especially with school alumni coming back to be a part of it.” said Sheppard.

And as time goes by, traditions change from year to year. As Lake Ridge celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year, some traditions are still being developed and solidified to this day. AP Statistics Teacher, Tiffany Neelley, sees the traditions at Lake Ridge compared to the high school she attended as vastly different.

“I think most of the reason it is different is because if you’re looking at a bigger school compared to a smaller school, it is going to be different. Also, with Lake Ridge being somewhat new, we are still building up new traditions,” said Neelley.

Homecoming is a time that most students look forward to and with it being around the corner, students on court are campaigning for votes and the football players are getting ready for one of the biggest games of the year. Though these festivities are mostly for students, teachers can’t help but reminisce about their own high school experiences.