Homecoming rally brings Don spirit

The Amador Homecoming rally was held on Friday, October 15, one day before Homecoming. It was the second rally of the 2021-2022 school year, and also the rally where the Homecoming court was announced.

“[I felt] kind of excited because I never went to a rally [besides the Aloha rally],” said Karan Gupta (’24).

The rally was a great way to end the week and unite the Don community by showing school spirit.

“I think the homecoming rally is a good way for students to demonstrate school spirit,” said Sahana Sundar (’23).

One of the well-received performances during the rally was the band. Members of the band practice their music and work hard to do their best for the performance. 

“My favorite part about performing in the rally was [that] I’m in marching band and I was able to perform the songs with my friends,” said Andrea Yang (’23).

The dance team and Bollywood dance team were also enjoyable performances. The teams brought unique styles of dance and music to the floor, which brought energy to the audience. 

“At the rally, all of the performances were great in their own ways, but what stood out to me were the dance performances by Bollywood and the Dance Team. The audience was captivated by the nuances of each dancer and music the groups selected,” said Sundar.

Homecoming court becomes gender-neutral this year

Homecoming court has long since been an old tradition at Amador. In prior years, students were able to vote for seniors to win either homecoming king or queen & prince or princess for every other grade, but this year things changed.

“With homecoming in general I think there could be some more improvement,” said Homecoming court winner Chloe Peissner (‘22).

This year was the first year Amador had a gender neutral court. Students were able to vote their peers into court (by grade) or royalty (school-wide). ASB has done away with gender specific names like “prince”, “princess”, “king” and “queen” opting for a more inclusive system.

“I think it is a step in the right direction,” said Peissner (‘22). 

As we push forward in the modern century, a school as old as Amador must keep up. The replacement with gender neutral terms is a direct result of the increased push to do so.

“I think it works with the changing times we have now, it makes it more modern. It’s what the students have asked for.” said ASB Executive Gracie Quinn (‘22).

For many this was a new opportunity that created a far more inclusive environment for students. For those in leadership, this dance was a way for them to create something new and still keep true to the tradition of homecoming. 

It’s always enjoyable, we remembered how things used to be and we were able to come up with something that allowed us to format it how we wanted to do it,” said Quinn (‘22).

This step towards inclusivity is just the first step in the minds of many who view homecoming as a farce. Homecoming is an opportunity to spotlight students who affect other’s lives in a positive way. 

“Typically with homecoming I feel like it’s a popularity contest. I don’t like that. Maybe in the future we could have different themes to the homecoming court, like people who worked hard, or someone that you looked up to,” said Peissner (‘22).

Homecoming has long since been a moment of fun and joy during the school year, and this year was no different. Steps in the right direction can only mean more are coming.

Amador charms the crowd with Homecoming skits

Amador’s 2021 homecoming skits were held on Thursday, October 14th, and this year’s theme was “Decades.” Tirelessly rehearsed and wonderfully executed, they were the perfect addition to the week’s spirited festivities.

“Decades is a great idea for a theme. There’s a lot you can do with it, there’s a lot of space to get creative” said Nicole Belleville (‘23).

The freshman theme was the 1920s, embellished with flapper dresses and a sign reading “Freshwomen,” an ode to the women’s movement of the time. Sophomores executed the 2000s with a Mean Girls spoof. Juniors welcomed the 1970s to the stage with Mama Mia characters and classic tunes. Finally, seniors took us on a trip through beloved 1980’s films.

“They were all funny but the dances were especially fun to watch,” said participant Logan Bayani (’22).

The graduating class seemed especially well-received.

“The Senior’s recreation of movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Back to the Future was my favorite to watch,” said Belleville.

While watching skits was a great time in and of itself, being on stage may top audience participation.

“Homecoming skits looked really fun when I watched them sophomore year, which inspired me to join as a senior. My friends were in it as well which made the whole experience really fun. My favorite moment was at the end of the play,” said Bayani.

Every skit followed the theme of homecoming proposals.

“The proposal theme was cute and easy to follow, and having a consistent plot tied the four shows together,” said Belleville.

Congratulations to everyone who partook in this year’s show!

Check out our photo story and photo album from Homecoming week!