Punny  asks,  football,  mums,dresses, suits, dinner and pictures. What   does   homecoming   mean to you? For many Hockaday students, they can never ask themselves this question.

Unlike many co-ed schools where all students can go to homecoming without a date or with a group of friends, this option is not available for us. Why is the tradition of homecoming that started over 100 years ago so unreachable to us?

To better understand this situation,  the  Fourcast  spoke  to St. Mark’s Interim Head of Upper School Scott Gonzalez.

To Gonzalez, homecoming is more than simply a football game and dance for the students. Aside from the game on Friday night and the dance on Saturday, St. Mark’s hosts a variety of alumni events on Friday  and  throughout  the  weekend. The school values the tradition of the alumni returning to St. Mark’s.

We  understand  the  significance  and  respect  this  tradition and are not asking to take part in the  alumni  events.  However,  the actual  dance  part  of  homecoming  is  for  students and does not interfere with these events.

After all, Ursuline Academy of Dallas, another all-girls school near us, has the option to attend homecoming at their brother school, Jesuit  Preparatory School  of  Dallas. Why  can’t we do the same with our brother school St. Mark’s?

At the same time, it is no secret that the relationship between Hockaday and St. Mark’s has weakened  over  the  years.  Even  The Remarker’s centerspread  for  the September issue focused on this deteriorating relationship.

The Fourcast completely agrees.  We  value  the  relationship we have with St. Mark’s very much but believe that it could be so much stronger. Thus, we would consider reciprocating and opening Winter Formal to them.

Winter Formal is a significant tradition at Hockaday as well. By inviting  St.  Mark’s,  we  would  be able to keep it a tradition but simply allow more people into the event.

We  already  share  other  traditions  and  social  events:  Junior Patron’s  Guild,  mixers,  spirit  parties, football games and cheerleaders.  They  pick  their  homecoming queens from our school, too.

Thus, why is the dance part of homecoming not included? At the same time, why do we not include St. Mark’s in our Winter Formal?

Could opening up these dances to each other be a way to reconnect us? Could this finally be a way for us to restore the bond we once shared?

The Fourcast asks both schools to consider this.