Parents and students alike are sure to flock to the campus for Homecoming, Oct. 18.
That is, after they cheer on the Jog-A-Thon, attend the Fall Family Festival and watch the annual Chalk Mural be created—all on the same day.
It’s just too much.
Sure, putting all of the events on one day might save a little money and attract a larger crowd overall.
According to Lindsey Sackheim, president of the Parents’ Association, the PA hopes to boost attendance to the Fall Family Festival by putting it on the same day as the more successful Jog-A-Thon, at the same time reducing the impact on students’ academic schedules
But what about students who have obligations to more than one event? How are they expected to be committed to so much on a single day?
And won’t having all of these events at once reduce their impact?
Each event traditionally has its own day, bringing excitement with each of them because they are the special event of the day.
The Chalk Mural is one such event—many students get out of class to spend the whole day drawing on the sidewalk, getting chalk all over themselves and completing the mural over the course of a single day.
On a different day, Homecoming, along with the pep rally, sucks up school spirit for a day and directs it toward supporting the sports teams.
And the Jog-A-Thon and Fall Family Festival, while not quite as important for most high-school students, there are a number who participate in or volunteer for both.
Having all of these events on the same day will simply be draining.
Imagine the student already missing class to create the Chalk Mural. In the morning, he skips the Jog-A-Thon to keep drawing. At lunch, he drops everything to go to the pep rally—perhaps even play in the Jazz Band.
And if he’s on the soccer team, he’ll have to shower off the chalk and play in the game late into the night.
And that’s not to mention students who want to volunteer in the Fall Family Festival.
Even the Student Council suffers. They usually hold their biggest fundraiser, the Student Council car wash, during the Fall Family Festival (which is traditionally on a Saturday), but won’t be able to this year because of the other events going on at the same time.
So, yes, parents coming to see the Jog-A-Thon might also stop by the Fall Family Festival and the Chalk Mural. But isn’t all that too much for one day?
