With Bakersfield College’s annual Homecoming taking place last week, many students seemed disinterested. They didn’t participate in any of the events or noon games.
Why is this?
It’s simply because the students on campus are disillusioned about Homecoming.
They associate Homecoming with high school Homecoming. The Homecoming at BC is different. It isn’t a popularity contest.
High school Homecoming is all about the jocks and the cheerleaders. To be nominated for Homecoming king in high school, you must wear a backwards Hurley visor, have a beach necklace of some sort, a bright Hurley shirt, board shorts and the latest skate shoes, even though they won’t ever touch an actual board, and finally, a brand new, lifted truck that daddy bought so you can look cool driving around the parking lot blasting Sublime.
High school Homecoming queen candidates must drive an Eclipse equipped with a Roxy sticker and have a butterfly tattoo somewhere on their bodies.
BC Homecoming candidates are far different. They are actually involved in school clubs and activities and care about representing the college and not just a petty clique.
The Homecoming at BC is all about fun and student participation. Just because the candidates aren’t “Johnny Football Star” or “Betty Cheerleader,” doesn’t make them any less interesting.
The clubs do a wonderful job selecting nominees, something that high schools do not. If you want to win Homecoming king or queen at BC, you must be involved in a club or run as an independent candidate. This encourages the king and queen candidates to be involved at BC. The winners are based on merit, not on popularity.
This is not to say that this year’s candidates were not popular. They are, but in a different, less superficial way.
Take advantage of BC’s Homecoming next year. If you’re expecting a bunch of jocks and clueless cheerleaders to be involved in Homecoming activities, then go back to high school. But if you want to see worthwhile, model students participating in Homecoming, then BC is the place for you.