69°
Mansfield Lake Ridge High School's Eagle Media Website

Eagle Media

Mansfield Lake Ridge High School's Eagle Media Website

Eagle Media

Mansfield Lake Ridge High School's Eagle Media Website

Eagle Media

Mom I need a Mum!

Mom+I+need+a+Mum%21

‘Tis the season of mums. Homecoming is a tradition that goes back to the early 19th century. Homecoming’s purpose was to invite returning alumni back to their school. However in Texas, homecoming in current times seem to focus mainly on mums. Each school year mums seem to get bigger, in size, weight, and cost. What exactly makes a mum so perfect anyway?

The three R’s of recycling is reuse, reduce, and recycle. This recycling process can also be used to make the mum process a lot easier. Natalia Cardenas, senior, believes there’s a simpler and easier way to make mums and reduce the amount spent on materials.

There’s so much hot glue involved in making a mum. I made my mum sophomore year and I remember it falling apart in the middle of my class, so I definitely  think mums are the hardest thing to make ever and I really appreciate all the moms out there that make them and make them look amazing without falling apart. I definitely advise everyone if they can, reuse your mums. So the mum you make freshmen year, keep it and just add on to it every single year. It will save you a lot of time and money,” said Cardenas.

Although Texas is the only state that creates mums as a tradition, it’s not the only state with homecomings. To celebrate homecoming, there are dances, spirit weeks, and parades. Madison Simison, junior, believes the memory of homecoming isn’t in the mum at all, it’s in the memories made during the dances and the football games.

Honestly, the mum means nothing to me, I don’t see what the big deal is. I didn’t know mums were a thing until I was a freshman because I was really confused when everyone was wearing mums. In Idaho, everyone dresses up fancy and spends money on dresses, unlike here at Lake Ridge. There are no dances which in my opinion is boring, even if there weren’t mums in Texas you can always wear your school colors shirts or participate in school spirit week,” said Simison.

Other states participate for homecoming week without mums, could Lake Ridge? Marisa Bonner, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, sees mums as a popularity stunt, she also knows a few ways to have school spirit without mums, still making homecoming week fun and exciting.

“I don’t really think there’s a purpose of mums actually, mums just keep getting bigger and bigger. Mums have become a contest of who can have the biggest and most extravagant mum. I think the overalls is kind of catching on which is more fun because you can wear them again. Showing school spirit is a great way to participate without having mums,” said Bonner.

Some could argue that mums break bank accounts and are falling out of tradition. They are supposed to signify advancing each year in high school, although some believe it’s now a publicity contest. Without mums, homecoming could still be special if students put in enough school spirit to show returning alumni and football players that the high school experience is one filled with many memories, some being harbored in the making of a mum.

About the Contributor
Mack Torres, ENN Staff