Friday, November 18, 2005

Hometown homecoming

Brookeland is a kindergarten-through-12 school in rural Southeast Texas. Last year, they had seven graduating seniors. This year they expect 12. As such, they don't have a football team. However, they take great pride in their basketball team.

Before basketball season officially starts each year, they celebrate homecoming. It's akin to homecomings of yesteryear. The entire community is invited and involved in the celebration.


Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

(Above) Harleigh Sepulvavo, 6, (right) waits restlessly for the Queen's Court to begin with her father Durk Sepulvavo during homecoming activities at the school in Brookeland on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005.

(Right) Ryan Whitmire, 6, blows a whistle on his boutonierre during homecoming activities in Brookeland.



(Above) Kindergartener Hunter Spring (right) checks out the trophy of Queen's Court kindergarten dutchess Autumn Murray (left) during homecoming activities in Brookeland.

(Right) Brookeland High School cheerleaders mingle on a trailer near the traditional bon fire during homecoming activities in Brookeland.
 

4 comments:

Bryon Houlgrave said...

I've really enjoyed your photo stories lately. Nice work. I really admire your ability to get close to the people you photograph.

Mark M. Hancock said...

Thanks. I had two stories holding for space from this summer. Both of them are running this weekend. I think some readers have responded positively to the stories lately and administration is starting to allow us time and space to chase bigger stories.

Bryon Houlgrave said...

That's never a bad thing.

BTW, I really like the bonfire silhouette ... forgot to mention that. I took one a couple years ago during a student party, where one kid had the devil sign silhouetted against the flames ... would have been a cool shot, but I lit it, so it turned out crappy.

Mark M. Hancock said...

With so many trees on the ground around here, they had a very large bon fire.