Written By: Connor Julian, Staff Writer, Daniel Holscher, Staff Writer, Ally Taynton, Staff Writer, Olivia McPherson, Staff Writer, Delaney Cordes, Staff Writer
TRADITION: Everyone’s favorite homecoming tradition is back in full swing, and each class is in it to win it.
Seniors
The winning float needs no competition. The Senior class secures the win again this year, like they did as Juniors with their 2023 float. Rather than trying to explain this elaborate construction, take a look at the week-long process of construction.
Sophomores
The Sophomore class’ theme is Hawaii, but instead of relaxing, something typical of these vacation destinations, students are working hard on their class float for the parade. The float is created to fit the theme of each class. Since the Sophomores received Hawaii, the goal is to make a beautiful, tropical float to truly show the magical essence of Hawaii. The float was designed by Anberlin Alferez, the sophomore class president. The float design is meant to represent two sides of Hawaii: night and day. The float is divided with a palm tree to show the distinction between the light and dark. On the day side, there is a surfer bear in front of a beautiful sunset. On the other, there is a lady bear throwing blazing batons in front of a starry sky. While the float did not win the competition for the best float, the hard work and dedication put in by students was clear. Awesome job Sophomores!
Juniors
With the theme of California, the juniors were keen on blue, white, and brown flowers to capture the essence of the beautiful California coast. A few brown flowers later and they got their first bear up on the float; a couple more and they had their second mini-bear. The juniors hoped to capture the idea of filmmaking within the Hollywood industry, displaying a bear videoing another bear hanging ten on gnarly waves. With the float progressing smoothly, the juniors reminisced about the journey. “I’m really happy to be here because I’ve helped out the last few days, it [the float] has really come a long way,” Emilio Scott says. As some enjoyed the thrill of being a part of the project, others emphasized their bonding time with others. “I’ve loved being able to hang out with my bestie Makenna, we love making flowers together,” Savannah Bustamante explained. At the halftime of the Homecoming Football game, the float building winner was announced. Seniors came out on top; Sophomores came in a close second, and Juniors placed third.
Freshman
This year’s freshmen were assigned Washington, D.C. as the inspiration for their float. This float featured a representation of the Lincoln Memorial and a bear holding an American flag. The scene was set against a bright blue sky, with “Freshman 2028” written in cursive at the top and “Washington, D.C.” displayed in dark blue letters at the bottom. On the day of the homecoming parade, spectators lined Central Avenue to see the floats, which were driven along with those from other classes and clubs. Later that evening, during the halftime show at the football game, the float winners were announced. Although the freshmen did not win this year, they still poured immense effort and creativity into their float. It will be exciting to see how their floats evolve over the coming years.