As the school day came to an end on Thursday, Aug. 31, a sense of excitement filled the air. After the week of nominating senior girls for Homecoming Court, the day for the final court came.

ASB made their rounds around campus, announcing the Court Princesses in their classes one by one. Senior Jianna Eguilos was feeling nervous as she heard ASB coming up the stairs to her class.

“I heard ASB coming up the stairs to the classes, and I wondered if they were coming into mine,” Eguilos said. I was anxious when they came into my class because I was wondering who was going to be the chosen princess. The anticipation was very exciting and nerve-wracking.”

The week of Homecoming festivities was stressful for everyone at RCHS. It was at an earlier date this year, and most students were still planning what to wear.

“It was very stressful choosing a dress. I wanted one that fit perfectly and stood out. There were so many options to choose from, but the black sparkly dress with the gloves was the one,” Eguilos said. “I loved the one I picked and I’m glad that I went with it because it made me feel so pretty and confident.”

Being on Homecoming Court comes with many responsibilities. Underclassmen looking up to you and being in the spotlight isn’t as easy as it may seem.

“It was very nerve-wracking having a lot of attention on you for a whole week, it was a different and special moment of getting this opportunity,” Eguilos said. “It was rewarding to share this experience with the other princesses on court and having family and friends celebrate with me.”

At RCHS, there is a homecoming court rally tradition of a “stealing the crown” video to show each princess to the entire school. Since the theme of the rally was Little Mermaid, this year’s court filmed the video at the beach. picture

“Going to the beach was a memory I’ll always remember,” Eguilos said. “The car ride to the beach, recording, and in general hanging out with the other princesses for the whole day built a strong and sweet friendship within all of us. Filming and seeing how the video turned out was super cool. I loved how everything turned out!”

The preparations for the rally came quickly. Each princess created their own dance where they could include their friends and family. Eguilos chose a couple of her friends and her brother to be in her dance.

“I chose my brother and a couple of my friends to be in my dance. They all brought hype, energy, and creative ideas within my dance. I love how my dance turned out and it was so fun performing it for the whole school to see,” Eguilos said.

Eguilos also made matching outfits for her group. Each person wore a black shirt and blue denim shorts. The backs of the shirts spelt out Eguilos’ nickname “J-Money.”

“I chose J-Money because I thought it was a silly and kinda catchy nickname to be named,” Eguilos said. “The matching fits came out to be super cute and I liked how at the end of my dance it spelled J-Money.” picture maybe

In addition to her own dance, Eguilos also had to learn the cumulative dance with each of the princesses. This would be a dance that includes the princesses all together.

“Practicing the dance was a little stressful because I didn’t want to mess up in front of the whole school,” Eguilos said. The dance with all the princesses definitely brought us closer and it was super fun performing with them. I loved the songs that were chosen and how the dance was choreographed.”

After the rally, the football game came. The anticipation of who won Homecoming Queen set in.

“The anticipation of hearing who won Homecoming Queen brought me so much anxiety but it was thrilling at the same time. Even if I had won Homecoming Queen, I believe that being on court was a dream! I am forever grateful to be a part of this experience and that I got to be a part of a great group of girls,” Eguilos said.

Each girl got to ride in a fancy car all dolled up, ready to show the school who they are. Eguilos was excited to be a part of a great tradition.

“When I saw the Corvette that was chosen for me, my jaw dropped. It was such an unreal feeling, I felt like an actual princess; all dressed up with my dress, makeup, and hair done,” Eguilos said. “Seeing all the other princesses dressed up and happy made me feel so grateful to be a part of this experience. It was such a sweet feeling hearing everyone chant my name while it was my turn to get called. Seeing everyone being so supportive and happy made me feel like I was on cloud-nine. Being a part of the Homecoming tradition will forever be a core memory for me.”

According to Eguilos, getting on Homecoming Court was an unreal, stressful, and fun experience. She said that her younger self would have never thought that she would make it on Homecoming Court. It was a dream come true for her. She was thriving the whole week leading up to Homecoming day.

“This will forever be a memory that will stick with me forever! I am extremely grateful to experience all the memories that came with being a princess,” Eguilos said. “Making new friendships, performing in a rally with people I love, and in general being a part of a special tradition. This was definitely one of the highlights of my senior year and a fun memory I’ll always hold in my life.”