The annual Homecoming week is always full of excitement and anticipation here at St. Charles East, and this year was no exception. Every year, students have the opportunity to attend school-spirited events and participate in class competitions like no other. After buying their respective class shirts, the four classes compete in co-ed volleyball, small games, and a multitude of student council-run competitions of the arts. Then at the end of the week, the classes come back together to cheer on the football team in their Homecoming game and dance the night away at the Homecoming dance.

This year, Homecoming week came to a shocking close. The juniors were announced as the winners of the Homecoming spirit stick, and the stunned seniors came second in a race they were sure they would win.

Last Friday, freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors alike all showed up to support the football team, just like every year prior. However, as halftime rolled around and the class floats paraded across the track, nobody in the stands was prepared for the announcement that was about to be made. 

First, members of the student council announced the winners of float building, with the juniors clinching first and the seniors placing second. This was crucial in determining the winner of the spirit stick. The juniors had also claimed first place in several other competitions, including the banner and display case.

When it came time to announce the winners of the spirit stick, nobody was on the edge of their seat. Many students in the stands were expecting history to repeat itself, with the seniors claiming the coveted spirit stick. One of those people was Ruby Garcia, a Junior and a member of the student council. “When they were announcing the winners, I didn’t really have much hope. Seniors always win, and I was preparing to say, ‘it’s rigged.’ But then they said we had won, and I just started going crazy. I couldn’t even believe it was happening. It was like the world was turned upside down.” Reading off the scores of the overall competition, the student council announced that freshmen and sophomores had tied for third with 48 points, the seniors had come in second with 61 points and the juniors had won the spirit stick with 65 points.

As the juniors in the stands went wild, the seniors found themselves stunned into silence. Some even began to tear up. The senior class had won the spirit stick every year for as long as anybody could remember, and last week was the first time they had lost in over 10 years. Kyna Patel, class of 2026 student council president, reflects on this unexpected loss. “Not winning the spirit stick was a little disappointing, but honestly it was overshadowed by all the fun we had leading up to it. Whether it was competing in small games or decorating the display case, we had fun doing all of it. At the end of the day, it’s all those memories that matter!”