With the football team in buses, the homecoming court in convertibles, senators in firetrucks and the marching band leading the way, Kathleen Overbeck, teacher and former CHS student, would spend part of her day as a student watching the homecoming parade go past on Main Street.

“It was just your traditional hometown, low-key, parade. It’s exactly what you envision of an ‘80s small town parade,” Overbeck said, “It was all of the elementary school kids from College Wood Elementary, which used to be behind Carmel Middle School, and the Carmel Middle School kids and then the Carmel Elementary School kids would be on the parade route.”

While many homecoming traditions have not changed much over the years, such as the trike races, the pep rally and the dance itself, some events like the parade have been altered or removed. Senate sponsor Michelle Foutz said one major reason for these changes is that students are required to spend more time in their classrooms as opposed to when Overbeck was a student.

“We used to be outside for a large portion of the day, but the state legislature made some changes in what we were permitted to do in terms of the schedule,” Foutz said, “We had to reduce the amount of time we were outside for homecoming activities compared to what we did a decade or two ago.”

Junior class president Ana Mercado said she enjoys all of the outdoor activities incorporated into the day of homecoming and like the tricycle race, which she gets to participate in, but she mainly enjoys the week because it’s about tradition.

“It’s really important to carry on these traditions because it’s really cool to see all the past traditions, and we’re still doing things like the trike race now, which is insane, and it’s just more people and it’s more spirit and for one week we get to focus on being a school,” Mercado said.

Overbeck said she remembers spending very little time in the classroom on the Friday of homecoming. Students would come into class, the teacher would take attendance and then spend the rest of the day outside watching the parade, the trike races and the pep rallies. However, Overbeck said the change in the amount of time focused on homecoming festivities may have a correlation with lack of school spirit during homecoming in the present.

“There was nothing academic about the old homecoming school day but it still served a great purpose, which is to foster school spirit. I don’t think there’s really much inclusiveness for that anymore because we’re much more attentive to rules and laws because we have to be,” Overbeck said, “I think those changes have muted the whole experience so that people still may be wearing blue and gold, but they don’t necessarily feel inspired by homecoming, about their school or their community.”

Mercado said she really likes the unity that comes with homecoming week because the student body feels more divided throughout the rest of the school year.

“I really like the spirit,” Mercado said. “For one week, we’re all together doing spirit days, going to the football game, the dance and I just love seeing all of the students together.”

Foutz said she believes more students should participate in homecoming festivities and traditions instead of going home for the day because of how unique these events are to CHS.

“I’m always disappointed by the number of people who get pre arranged (passes) on that day because a lot of people, adults and students, put a lot of time and energy to make that a fun and memorable day for Carmel High School students, so it is disappointing to see the number of people who just see that as a day to opt out and not come to school,” Foutz said.

Overbeck said the increased focus on the academic portion of the day as opposed to the actual homecoming festivities makes her feel nostalgic for the past and that, as a teacher now, she wishes students could have the same activities she had as a student.

“It was very rah-rah, and festive and fun. I don’t feel like the kids (now) have that same sense that the day is super exciting and fun,” Overbeck said, “Because the classes are shortened, the fact that you’re still going to class for the majority of your day means it isn’t quite the same as a day of fun. Although, there are definitely students who are just as into school spirit on that day as anybody ever was when I was in school.”