There’s No Place Like Homecoming

“When I look back at my high school experience, I think one of those special moments in time that I remember is Homecoming. And with our new soccer field, I thought it was a perfect match,” says faculty member Ellen Chindamo. On Friday, September 9th, Bishop Seabury hosted its first-ever Homecoming game and celebration on the newly-constructed Seabury Family Soccer Field. The Seabury high school boys’ soccer team took on Heritage Christian Academy for their first game ever played on the field, and they ended the match with a 4-2 win. Filled with cheering students, a comeback win, walking tacos, and a dunk tank out back, the evening ended up being the perfect, uniquely “Seabury” homecoming event.

“When I went to go talk to Student Senate about Homecoming, it was about starting new traditions,” says Chindamo, the primary organizer of the event. “Winning the game was the best part and, honestly, seeing all of the students line up and high-five the players. Like I said, starting new traditions.” Though they made the game extra special, the new traditions were not the only highlight of the night. “What was also really special about that night was that everyone did come back, and there were parents and brothers and sisters and all of the Seabury community.”

The event was popular among the student body as well. “I liked Homecoming because I loved seeing how much the Seabury community wanted to come to support the athletic program,” says Junior Vivian Hill. Hill, who has attended Seabury since the sixth grade, says that it was “a day to remember because I’ve never seen that many students or people in the community come out to an athletic event before.” The win and the great turnout both helped to make the evening such a success, but because this was only the school’s first Homecoming, there are various plans circulating to improve on the event in the future.

“There are probably a lot of things that I want to do to make it bigger and better,” says faculty member Eric Nelson. “I’d like to have a big alumni presence . . . I think that one of the things that are great about our school is that, when you graduate, you know every kid in your grade and basically every kid in the school. I think Homecomings at this school will mean much more than they would at a school when . . . you [do not] even know the kids sitting next to you at your graduation,” says Nelson. “I know that that happens at bigger schools too, but I also know that sometimes it is difficult to really know people [at bigger schools] at the same level that we know people here.”

As far as profiting off of Seabury’s tight-knit community when it comes to Homecoming, there are some ideas in the works. “I would love to have us involve the alumni a little more. We could maybe have a reception and bring them back. Perhaps time it next year to where you all could have a dance?” says Chindamo.

Whether new traditions keep being added, or the event remains exactly the same, Homecoming celebrations at Seabury are certainly here to stay. “It’s very important for Seabury to have a Homecoming for years to come . . . It provides a place, early in the school year, to meet new people and connect with those in the community as well as support the athletic program and have lots of fun,” says Hill.

The same sentiment was shared by Chindamo as well. “I think it just brings us all together. It brings us all together to celebrate the best of Seabury,” she says.