Every year high schools around the country have Homecomings where students participate in spirit dress up days, attend a football game and a parade, dress up to go to a dance, attend a pep rally, and vote for homecoming king and queen. But how did these traditions start? According to Jeopardy, in 1911 University of Missouri held the first homecoming where they had a football game and parade to welcome back their alumni. While University of Missouri is largely credited for the beginning of homecomings, Baylor, Southwestern, and Illinois claim that they held the first homecoming. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign held their first homecoming in 1910. Since then, they’ve had it every year except 1918, due to influenza, and 2020 due to COVID. In 1909, Baylor had a parade, football game, and reunion parties. While they did take a break from 1910-1915, there has always been a homecoming since then.

Of course, homecoming court is always a big tradition. Students will vote two people from their grade to represent their class. At Orion, there are four boys and four girls voted for the senior class. After the eight students are chosen you vote for one senior boy and one senior girl to be king and queen. Then, the King and Queen are revealed at the pep rally.

In 1975 Orion’s hoco theme was Rock and Roll 50’s. Their dress up days were hat and glasses day, 50’s day, farmer day, and black and red day. Of course, they had the pep rally, parade, bonfire, Friday night football, and the Saturday night dance. In 1977 Orion had many activities including the Shaft Gang skit, the banana-eating contest, and scooter locomotion. Also, a more recent tradition is that seniors participate in spray painting a barn.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homecoming