With Homecoming week so fresh in our minds, it has made some students curious; Has Homecoming always been this way?

The answer is no. Although many of Ripon High’s traditions remain similar to the way they once were, they have evolved over time.

One particularly significant change has been the way the school crowns the Homecoming King and Queen. According to English teacher Cameron Burton, who has taught at Ripon since 1987, things weren’t always as organized and precise as they are now.

“When I came here, we only had a Homecoming Queen. We had a winter Homecoming that was very informal, and that’s where we had a King…and when I say informal, I mean they had Burger King crowns,” Burton said.

Along with the coronation of Ripon High’s royalty, the Homecoming dance is very different now from how it used to be. Many people have said that this dance used to be a very important and fun event for the entire school.  Currently, Ripon High doesn’t have a Homecoming dance at all due to lack of student interest.

“The dance used to be a huge deal. Everyone went,” Ripon High Alumni from the class of 2009 Alyssa Gress stated.

Another change in Homecoming traditions is the parade. The event itself has always been a tradition for Homecoming week, but it has been modified in multiple ways because of  much more student involvement.

“There weren’t as many participants as there are now, with all of the clubs and elementary schools participating,” Biology and Anatomy Teacher Ann Pendleton, who graduated from Ripon High in 1989, said. “When I was younger, there were only two elementary schools–Ripon El and Ripona. Ripon El was on the parade route. I went to Ripona and we would walk over to watch the parade”.

Despite the adjustments made to our Homecoming traditions at Ripon High, there will always be things that have remained the same. The friendships and memories that Homecoming creates will be around for years to come.

“Homecoming continues to be one of the stalwart traditions, and even with the changes, it’s still here,” Burton stated.