It’s homecoming season at St. Aloysius. Homecoming used to be my favorite time in high school. Preparing for the week’s wacky activities with tacky outfits to be matched with your friends was the best way to show how much you loved your school.

I was able to enjoy homecoming for the last three years of high school. It was only three because I was late coming back from lunch my freshman year and was assigned in-school suspension the rest of the week. It was the worst way to spend the most exciting week of the year. In-school suspension felt like prison. It was cold, quiet, and the person in charge wasn’t friendly.

At my high school, there wasn’t a formal homecoming dance. Homecoming was more about the football game, the spirit and the pep rally associated with it. I believe we went 2-2, which ruined the excitement of the week.

Back at my alma mater, it was always rumored that the athletic director was supposed to schedule weak opponents guaranteeing us a win. Students judged how good the football team was based off of that particular game, so going 2-2 meant we weren’t that good of a team.

In college, homecoming varies on the atmosphere of the school. When I was in Atlanta, Clark Atlanta was decorated with school colors and events happened every day for every student. The week concluded with a big hip-hop concert on Thursday and a step show on Friday.

At Alabama, homecoming really catered to students in the Greek community. Sorority row was filled with murals of a central theme made out of tissue paper. The Friday before the game, a campus bonfire took place, but seemed counterproductive for students not in a fraternity or sorority.

The biggest thing about homecoming at every level, of course, is seeing who will be crowned king, queen and who their court will be. Hundreds of dollars are spent on campaigning and winning over the student body for a titular position that fades away in 365 days.

Friday, I’ll be covering St. Al’s homecoming game against Adams County Christian and I hope the students have just as much fun as I did as a student.

This is definitely one of the most exciting times of the year.

My advice for the senior class of 2016 heading into its last homecoming season: enjoy these last moments of high school before venturing off on your own and enjoy making memories with your friends.

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Alex Swatson is a sports writer. He can be reached at 601-636-4545, Ext. 178, or via email at alex.swatson@vicksburgpost.com