Homecoming is one of Edmond Memorial High School’s longest-standing traditions. From parades to football games, this tradition has stayed with the school for well over 50 years.

The parade location has changed throughout the years. It used to go around downtown Edmond, but the location changed when Elanna Dobbs became the school’s student council sponsor. 

“I changed the location of the parade to go around the school instead,” Dobbs said. ”I did this because hardly anyone would show up to the parade in downtown Edmond, and I wanted a stronger Memorial presence to appreciate the hard work these students put into their floats. The attendance doubled, and more organizations started participating in the parade.”

The way that Homecoming Court is chosen has also changed in the past few years. The Homecoming King used to be chosen by the student body, with any senior boy having the chance to be chosen. This has changed to just being football players who vote for the homecoming king. 

“Since Homecoming is centered around football, Bekah [Joash] and I felt that each male candidate needed to be a football player,” Dobbs said. “The coaches had the football teams vote on the male candidates, while the faculty and staff and student body nominated the female homecoming court candidates.”

Homecoming is about welcoming alumni back to the school while focusing on building school spirit and the community. Marcus Altstatt has seen these traditions evolve and continue throughout his time at EMHS. He is one of the most senior teachers here at Memorial, as he was also an alum. 

“The students seem to rarely realize [homecoming] is about the alumni coming home,” Altstatt said. “The reunion of different alums coming back for that particular [football] game stands out to me.” 

Social media has also made a difference in the way that Homecoming is advertised to past and current students. Schools use social media to advertise the dates and times of the events, as well as what dress-up day themes are happening during the week. The themes are tailored to the newest and coolest current trends on social media. Jackson Pollard, a member of the student council, helps pick out the themes. 

“[Social media] allows people to capture the moments during the parade and the game on camera, which solidifies the memories during the week,” Pollard said.

Homecoming is not just about the football game or spirit week; it is about the alumni coming home and reuniting to cheer on the school for a day. At its core, Homecoming is a celebration of the school’s history and its continuous legacy. 

Contact Wes Matlock at [email protected]