How friendship landed these freshman on the 2024 homecoming court
By Reagan Rozzi
Photo of Grace Gatton and Dawson Reed taken by Reagan Rozzi
The first year of high school is never easy: being thrown into a swarm of hormonal teenagers, sharing the halls with intimidating upperclassmen and the pressure of a memorable final four years before emerging into adulthood are enough to scare anybody into an introverted shell. However, for freshmen Dawson Reed and Grace Gatton, friendship and confidence persevered in their campaign for freshman homecoming court representatives.
For the past two years, Reed and Gatton have been building their friendship, transforming from fellow classmates to best friends.
“We had a class [together] in seventh grade, but then in eighth grade we had first hour with a couple of other people and we got really close then,” Reed shared.
With Reed’s packed schedule in the Pride of Owasso Drumline, and Gatton’s membership in the Voice of Owasso, it would be easy for the two to grow apart. However, through Student Council and National Junior Honor Society, Gatton and Reed have been able to remain in close touch.
As the two became more settled into their freshman year routine, the talk of homecoming court began to emerge among their peers. Both Gatton and Reed’s parents encouraged the kids to campaign, and upon further consideration, the two did.
Gatton and Reed ran for their top ten finalist spots separately, and unlike many candidates, they didn’t rely solely on social media campaigning. Instead, the two additionally used face-to-face connections with their peers to retain votes.
“I would just ask people who they voted for, and if they said they hadn’t voted yet I said, ‘you should consider voting for me,’” Reed explained.
Gatton shared, “My aunt made shirts, and I … went around at lunch and I talked to people.”
In support of his friend, Reed took part in wearing one of Gatton’s campaign shirts.
After securing their spot in the finalist’s ballot, the two then promoted not only themselves, but also each other in their campaigns.
Gatton and Reed received their freshman homecoming court representative title within the week, and after celebration now have a busy preparation period ahead, filled with formal wear shopping, poster making and handshake planning.
This intense commitment, however, has not scared off the duo. Gatton and Reed both spoke about the possibility of campaigning again during their senior year in hopes of possibly winning the king and queen title. But for the time being, both students are extremely grateful for their current representative title.
Gatton and Reed—along with their fellow sophomore, junior and senior representatives—will make their debut on Oct. 11 during the high school’s pep rally, then later at the homecoming football game.