With pandemic still out of control, hope for in-person Homecoming dims

November 20, 2020 — by Audrey Mah
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Photo by Audrey Mah

Commissioners say Homecoming will not take place without extensive modifications, if at all.

Despite initial speculation about a postponement of this year’s Homecoming festivities, spirit commission currently has not set any official Homecoming plans for next semester. According to senior Emily Choi, head spirit commissioner, in-person Homecoming activities have been canceled until further notice.

At the beginning of the school year, ASB and the spirit commission floated the idea of combining Homecoming celebrations with Spring Fling week or a potential January date if the school reached Phase 4 of the district’s reopening plan.

Given the recent surge of COVID-19 cases across the country and Santa Clara County’s return to the purple tier on Nov. 16, the school may be less likely to move beyond its current status of Phase 2A of reopening.

Choi said that if the school were to reopen sometime next semester, Homecoming would have to be heavily modified to accommodate safety regulations. 

“There’s limited space in the quad, and in normal years, we could barely fit the whole crowd,” Choi said. “We would have to split up events so that all of the students wouldn’t be together at once.”

The Leadership class has discussed the option of live-streaming quad day performances without an audience, but that would also require a progression in phases of the reopening plan. Because quad day practices are considered social gatherings, they would have to be supervised and regulated for health safety, which Choi said would be difficult for the spirit commission to handle.

Other traditional Homecoming events are even more difficult to modify. 

“One of my favorite parts of Homecoming is the coronation ceremony and football game,” Choi said. “But football season is in question, and separating the coronation ceremony from the football game kind of defeats the purpose.”

Still, Choi is optimistic that some aspects of a traditional Homecoming might be possible next semester. She has seen other schools hold royalty elections online this year and sees this as a potential option for the school.

But until the school reopening plan is finalized, Choi said that the spirit commission cannot plan large in-person activities. 

“None of us are sure what regulations for COVID-19 will be like in second semester, so Homecoming is on hold until then,” Choi said.

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