Rose basketball highlights
Inclusivity vs. tradition sparks debate
FRI.| 10-24-25 | OPINION
Homecoming week, a schoolwide tradition that has been a part of Rose for generations, took place last week. From new themes to unexpected title changes, the familiar event looked a little different this year.
At Rose, Homecoming is a big ordeal. We decorate the commons along with the 100, 200 and 300 halls with specific themes. Additionally, we have a themed spirit week where students are encouraged to dress up according to the schedule, with the last theme being “dress to impress,” which occurs on Friday night, at the Homecoming football game.
This year's Homecoming has a similar setup to previous years, but there are a few changes in particular that have caused an uproar from students. The first major change was the new Homecoming titles: the Royal Rampants. To be more inclusive, Rose decided to remove the previous titles of Homecoming King and Queen, as well as eliminating Mr. and Ms. School Spirit.
Photo by Bailey Brown
Iunderstand the motive to accommodate all Rose students, but this change feels like it's removing Rose tradition. While the Homecoming Court still exists, Mr. and Ms. School Spirit were my favorite parts of the court, and this year definitely felt like it was missing that.
Homecoming Courts are part of the American high school experience, and schools across the nation use these terms. This change did not sit well with Rose students, and I have heard just about all of my friends weigh in on the issue. I think a better solution could have been to implement a new part of the court with a gender-neutral title that anyone in the school could run for, regardless of how they identify.
The student backlash was only amplified when the spirit week themes were introduced. This year, the theme schedule aligned with the hall decorations, making Monday’s theme Space, to correspond with the 100 hall, Tuesday’s Safari matching the 200 hall, Wednesday’s Ocean to go along with the 300 hall, and lastly Arctic to mirror the commons. This is the first year that the themes align with the halls, and I can see the vision, however, I think this decision just missed the mark.
Instead of having trendy, fun themes like Adam Sandler Day, which students have seen other schools doing, we get terrain. I do like the cohesiveness that these themes create, but when I look at the more appealing themes other schools used for their spirit week, I feel quite envious. I think student participation and opinion should have been further considered in the matter.
Many Rose students took to social media to voice their opinions on the matter, posting a petition to “make SGA better” and an alternate theme schedule made by students. Although I share similar views on the themes being less than spectacular, I wouldn’t have gone as far as posting this on social media. It felt insulting, and if they really wanted to do another themed week, contacting school administrators and planning another event could have been a better alternative.
Overall, Homecoming week fell short of expectations set by previous years. I hope that in the future, they consider more student opinion and find new ways to honor Rose traditions while still being inclusive and exciting.
