On Sep. 15, Southwestern College’s football field filled with cheers and excitement as both Beto Peralta-Villarreal and Sophia Cervantes were named Homecoming King and Queen. During the homecoming football games halftime, Bonita Vista Highs (BVH) Alumni Homecoming King and history teacher Don Dumas and math teacher Cristina Hernandez announced the Special Education Homecoming King and Queen. Peralta-Villarreal and Cervantes felt a sense of acknowledgement and were thrilled by this new opportunity.
“They were so excited. [Peralta-Villarreal] put on his royal crown and did not want to take it off. Sophia loved [becoming Homecoming Queen], she felt like a princess. She was doing her princess wave and the [BVH community] was really happy,” BVH Moderate to Severe teacher and Baron Buddies Advisor Darci Comer-Davies said.
Davies collaborated with the BVH Associated Student Body (ASB), Senior Task force Advisor, Attendance Coordinator and math teacher Christina Ada in implicating this new change after Davies had placed this request. Moreover, BVH senior Viviana Balleza shares her support towards the new implication and explains how she personally tried to make a difference, sending out an email to petition for a special education section on the homecoming court.
“I saw a poster, when they were running for the [homecoming] court and felt like it wasn’t going to be an equal chance since we don’t really interact with the Baron Buddies and the Special Needs program,” Balleza said.
Balleza considered the fact that equal chances are crucial for fostering a fair and just community at BVH. She hopes to ensure that individuals can reach their full potential, and thus lead a more inclusive and thriving school environment. In addition, Davies was persistent in having the Special Education program represented on the Homecoming Court.
“We tried to get them [Peralta-Villarreal and Cervantes] on the court, but the general education students didn’t know them. It was hard to put their name out there since they didn’t know them. Then this year we were like ‘let’s try this again’ so we posted their flyer around school and we were trying to get the vote in,” Comer-Davies said.
With this effort, Davies was thrilled to have them be a part of the homecoming court activities with others in hopes that it will continue as an annual event. It is important to note that BVH is the only school in the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) that has implemented this idea. Balleza further shares the need for growing efforts in strengthening community bonds.
“I think they should [be more involved with school events]. […] We could spend more time with them and have more activities with them. It doesn’t [necessarily] have to be something as big as a dance, but I think we should be able to interact with them more instead of making it so divided,” Balleza said.
According to Balleza, interacting with all members of the community provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment as individuals work to make a positive impact on one’s life. Balleza expresses her feelings towards this impact that contains a great learning opportunity for all students.
“It’s important to represent [Peralta-Villarreal and Cervantes] because in general, everyone should have equal opportunities and I think that if you feel or see that there isn’t equal opportunity, then you should speak on it,” Balleza said.
Including the Special Education students showcases a step forward and many opportunities in fostering more connections. With that in mind, Ada believes more individuals at BVH will increase their thoughts of acceptance.
“There is a large group of the Special Education department that comes with all of their staff members. They come in a large group and they have so much fun at the events. I think that it will be something that becomes a tradition for their department and the parents will be more accepting and willing to let their students out to do these kinds of events,” Ada said.
Increasing the representation of how diverse BVH can be is taken into consideration as Ada shares her inspiration for as to why she approved of this proposal.
“Everybody on campus should be included and the Special Education [Program] students known as Baron Buddies, are a big part of BVH’s culture. We have a lot of students that are on ASB that are also on Baron Buddies so it was a natural collaboration,” Ada said.
Ada obtains big hopes for BVH’s culture and the influence of BVH on other schools in SUHSD. Furthermore, Davies explains her expectations for other SUHSD schools and hopes for more big opportunities.
“Next year, we have a lot of seniors [and] we are going to have our own department vote for who they want to win and get it going. We want to continue this; we want to make it annual. We want other schools to copy what we do, because we think it’s awesome,” Comer-Davies said.
With the input of BVH’s Special Education program and their desire to create this lasting memory, many expressed their pride in the outcome and excitement for what the future holds. The Special Education Program students look forward to participating in the future and Davies further expresses the feelings her and the students share.
“Everybody worked so hard, they did an amazing job and that was the best homecoming ever […]. We fundraised together so we were already going to the dance and this was our third dance we have gone to. We went to Baronial last year, Prom and now Homecoming. We constantly want to get them involved in these activities like going to the football games,” Comer-Davies said.
