Every year at Homecoming Poly Prep releases a new set of homecoming shirts for students, faculty, and families. This year, the homecoming shirts received mixed reviews from students regarding the design and pricing. When I received the email from Poly about the homecoming shirts I was surprised. I really liked the design, but I was not a fan of the color scheme. The red didn’t really make sense to me, given Poly’s typical colors, and overall, the shirts felt like another piece of Poly merch that flopped because of the new logos the school is using. 

The design of this year’s shirts were less traditional than shirts of the past. The shirts are navy blue with a simple trident on the front. On the back there looks to be a bright red fire engulfing the new Poly devil with the words “Homecoming 2022” written across the back.

Marco Smith ’24 said, “I like the design in the back. I like the red. I like the blue. I like the trident.” However, not everybody was completely sold on the incorporation of colors that don’t exactly represent Poly. Seanna Sankar ’24 (the Polygon’s online managing editor) said “I’m confused why it’s red, the design itself is cool though.”

Many people were not fond of the $15 price tag that came with the shirt. “I am a little confused as to why we are paying for them this year,” said Iliana Borges ’24. Many people agreed with this statement and were taken aback when they found out that the shirts were not complimentary. Even people who really liked the design were unwilling to pay for the shirt. Hank Schilling ’24 said “[the shirts] have a really nice design. I think they are a little overpriced.” Bennett Mckeon ’23, despite raving about the shirts, still felt the price was slightly unfair. “It is a little expensive.”

The shirts being paid for by students was a tradition that was only abandoned last year and reinstated this year. Jared Winston, director of student life, shed some light on the reasoning for the decision and plans for the future. “Homecoming shirts have historically lived with Student Government as a way for elected student representatives to amplify school spirit while raising funds for future student events and initiatives.” 

Student government was in charge of the entire process from the design, to the marketing, and to the allocation of the profits. Despite the mixed response from the student body, the money earned from the shirts is still a huge help to the Poly community. “Student Government made back enough money to help enhance student events like the Winter Formal,” Winston said.

The administration is aiming to make changes for future homecomings over the next few years. “Given the student response, it is a priority of ours to work homecoming shirts into the budget for next year — to make sure every student receives a shirt free of charge,” said Winston.