Roseau High School has been a school with traditions for many years, until this year. Graduation for this year’s seniors will be held the weekend after Memorial weekend, and not the three-day memorial weekend where more family is available for their graduate’s special moment. Seniors will also not get their traditional week off before graduation, and do you want to know why? So Roseau High School can have more funding.

Last year as juniors, the class of 2020 worked concessions and paid class dues. The money they raised was put into their senior class funds. As juniors, they also raised our prom fees to $60 so we could create a great prom night, such as paying for a DJ. Any left-over money went straight to our senior year funds. Typically, the money from the senior funds is used to pay for homecoming coronation and yearbooks for all the seniors. But this year, we aren’t having a full Top 10 coronation. There will only be Top 5, and there will be no homecoming attendants.

So why have Top 5 instead of our traditional Top 10? That’s our question. Roseau High School believes that Top 10 would be a popularity contest and that Top 5 wouldn’t. Top 10 gives twenty seniors a shot to walk the runway for Homecoming Coronation. Top 5 only gives ten people this great honor. Seniors are spending the same amount of our senior funds on a Homecoming Coronation Program on Top 5 that we would for Top 10.

Another special part of homecoming is “Hall of Fame” which is electing two people for specific categories that they fit best in. Hall of Fame is also included as part of the Homecoming Coronation program. However, this year, there will not be a Hall of Fame until our next dance held in February. Our homecoming coronation program will be cut short of the events that even make up traditional Homecoming.

What is the point of taking away Top 10 and Hall of Fame? A big portion of senior funding goes towards the Homecoming Coronation Program. Why should seniors have to pay so much and work so hard for a program that will only be 15 minutes?

The worst part is, these changes were not decided on by the student body. These changes were made abruptly by certain RHS administration, as there was no voting or say from the student body. Homecoming is mostly a student activity, as we are the ones who gear up for spirit week and end our week with our Homecoming Dance. So why shouldn’t the students of Roseau High School have a voice in this tradition change?

Changing our Homecoming activities is not only changing Roseau High School’s traditions but also changing traditions that many schools AND colleges in the nation follow. Not only is this a nation-wide tradition for every high school, but this has been a tradition within RHS, even before our grandparents graduated.

This article is not to rebel in any way. This is our call for change. Sadly, it may be too late to change tradition back to normal for this year’s seniors, but we are speaking for the seniors yet to come.

Concerned RHS Students