There are a couple of differences in homecoming from when I was in school. Maybe the biggest difference was that the homecoming dance was on Friday night after the football game. Having the dance after the game really made Friday a huge deal.

I remember that Friday as a senior during homecoming very well. A good number of us seniors got up early, drove to Perkins in Shakopee before school to have a big breakfast, and spent the majority of the school day enjoying the parade and pepfest. Then the best part was that they let us out of school about 30 minutes early. I don't think too much has changed since. They still go down to Varner St. for the parade so that the St. John's kids can be a part of homecoming, and I think the pepfest format hasn't changed all too much either.

I don't know if the kids still do this or not, but my class started a tradition of waking up the King and Queen Tuesday morning, and made them wear a rabbit suit all day long - did I mention we didn't let them shower or anything?

We didn't go around Toilet papering or pulling pranks on other seniors, which seems to get worse each year.

Does anybody else besides me seem to get very nostalgic this time of year?

I came from a different era in which each class spent weeks preparing a float, we used chicken wire and kleenex and paper mache. The band wore uniforms in the parade. The pepfest was at like 11 am and we would be released from school for the parade at 1:00, this changed before I graduated though. The band used to wear uniforms to the football games, also.

I know I don't the reason why the band doesn't wear the uniforms. But I know they are expensive. Maybe that's the reason? I think it would be cool if the band wore the uniforms.

Most of the bigger schools don't let kids out early at all for homecoming, they also don't do as much in terms of festivities. Shakopee's homecoming is kinda a joke compared to Jordan's. They will have a couple of lunch time activities for the week, but the pepfest, parade, and overall school spirit is just not there like it is in Jordan.