When making plans for Sept. 27, senior Anish Patel had a decision to make: which homecoming to attend.
This year, both Lawrence High School and Free State High School held their homecomings the same night. The decision about which homecoming to attend was more difficult for Patel than most students because, though he is enrolled at Free State, he also takes classes at LHS that aren’t offered at FSHS.
“I don’t think it is a good idea [to have both homecomings on the same night] because as a community we all have friends at both schools, and it’s hard choosing between them,” said Patel, who ultimately attended LHS’ homecoming game.
Scheduling events like dances, pep rallies and homecoming is conducted at each school with little coordination between the two.
“We both have such different schedules and needs it’s hard to coordinate. We let each other know when things are coming, but it’s really difficult to coordinate schedules,” said assistant principal Mark Preut, who,for the past couple of years worked with now retired athletic director Ron Common’s to develop LHS’ yearly calendar.
This year, both schools were limited in possible dates for homecoming due to a lack of home football games and the need to respect religious holidays.
“We look at religious holidays and the football schedule and try not to overlap events like homecoming with holidays like Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur,” said Preut.
The resultant overlapping homecoming games was frustrating to students at both schools.
“I think it’s a bad idea. It’s always been fun in the past to be at both schools’ homecomings to see everyone and get the experience of what their homecoming is like,” said senior Haley Ryan, an LHS homecoming court candidate. “I think it has bummed a lot of people out that they have to choose between homecomings to attend, which just increases the so-called rivalry.”
Madeline Chestnut, a FSHS senior and homecoming court candidate was disappointed she couldn’t attend LHS’ homecoming game.
“I do have friends on LHS’ homecoming court, which is why it’s such a bummer that they are on the same night,” she said. “I would have loved to support and cheer them on.”
Further frustration arose due to the similar natures of the homecoming candidate videos from each school. Like the concurrent homecoming games, the similarity between the two videos was coincidental due to a lack of coordination.
Though some students were embittered by the coinciding homecomings and similar videos, others were less affected.
“I personally don’t feel like it is a problem to have them on the same night even though I have friends who are homecoming candidates at Free State,” senior and LHS homecoming court candidate Kieran Severa said. “If any of my friends win, I will probably just text them saying congratulations, but I could understand how someone who has good friends on both courts may feel pressure when choosing which one to go to.”
Severa’s fellow court candidate Abbey Berland shared a similar view.
“It’s always hard because there are people who want to go to both homecomings and will have to make a choice… but I think it’s cool to stick to your own school,” Berland said.