By MICHELLE ADAMS / Community Columnist

Decorated hallways, dress-up days, skit performances, a parade and the community pep rally—all festive facets of the week that celebrate Bulldog spirit in preparation for Montevallo High School’s homecoming.  The homecoming tradition changes and evolves throughout the years, but students continue to promote school spirit, unify the community and welcome alumnae home to Montevallo.
Students dressed up this year for Movie Monday, Too Old Tuesday, Wild Animal Wednesday, Spirit Day Thursday and Freaky (tacky) Friday.  In conjunction with the dress-up day, classes worked together to create and perform a skit based on the day’s theme and the intention of beating the opposing team at the game Friday.
“Dress-up days gets students excited about coming to school,” senior Daymon Smith said.  “We get to see the creativity of our classmates and support our school and the football team at the same time.”
In addition to the dress-up days and skits, students worked with their classes to earn points throughout the week. The Future Business Leaders of America held a coin drop and canned-food drive, through which classes earned points and supported the community.  The coin drop donations will go toward service projects such as feeding a family at Thanksgiving and participating in the Toys for Tots program.  All canned food donations will be turned into Shelby Emergency Assistance.
“Homecoming is a great opportunity for students to express themselves,” SGA sponsor and history teacher Lee Pastor said.  “They have fun being together, coordinating their week with plans to win the class competitions and celebrating being an MHS student.”
The crowning moments for the homecoming week were the parade Thursday night and the football game Friday night, during which the halftime show not only included the award-winning Marching Troubadours, but also the presentation of the homecoming court and the announcement of this year’s homecoming queen.
Homecoming week celebrates a school and a team, but in Montevallo, community is celebrated as well.  Community members, even those who do not have school-age children attended the parade and the football game, showing their support for Montevallo’s children, their interests and their education.
As well as in celebration, the Montevallo community also rallies around those who have experienced tragedy.  This past summer, Montevallo lost two young lives, Ollie Tetloff and Sumo Hudson, and to honor their lives and the joy they brought to so many, their parents served as grand marshals in the MHS homecoming parade, truly representing the Bulldog pride of Montevallo.