HOBO+Day

Summary: Hobo day was originally the pep rally before the Thanksgiving Day football game. Students would gather and show school sprit and support for their football team. There were floats and a big parade and many activates. In the 1970’s the students took old cars and would decorate them and hit them over and over with sledgehammers. Today is has been reduced to an assembly and a sprit week. Belleville West students today enjoy the escape of dress code and normalcy. Hobo Day grants the students permission to be different for a few days.
 * [[image:fish_thing.jpg]]Students is full costume for Hobo Day ||

History: Hobo Day started as a day were student could dress down and wear jeans. During the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's Hobo Day was used as the pep rally before the Thanksgiving Day football game agaisnt East Side. As Hobo Day began there were costume contests, floats, and many more fun activities. it has changed over time with the addition of new activates. Car smashing and best leg contests were added later in the 1970's. Today almost all activates have been removed.


 * [[image:scan0003.jpg]]Cheerleaders performing at the Hobo Day assembly ||
 * [[image:float_1.jpg]] ||
 * The Junior float for Hobo Day in 1973 ||

Floats and Activities: Hobo day has caused a great deal of excitement for many years going all the way back to the 1950’s. When Hobo Day first began floats where a common sight in downtown Belleville. Every grade made a float. There was a contest to see who could make the best float. Some clubs and teams made floats. The football team often had the best float. There were many other activities other than the parade. There were contest for best smile and best legs and many others. There were also sprit week events. There were special dress up days and grade events. The administration made it a full out competition between the grades. Seniors often came out in the lead. Today it has been brought down to a few days of dressing up and a few small contests between the classes. The parade and the car smashing and anything involved in being out of the school has been totally erased. Hobo day used to raise school sprits now it just gives the students a day of escape from dress code.

The prize-winning float in 1963 ||
 * [[image:float_2.jpg]]
 * [[image:kat.jpg]] ||
 * More students being involved in Hobo Day dress up ||

Page by : Evan Bruce and Bethany Poposky