In preparation for Homecoming, student council, activities board and faculty collaborated to prepare a “Show-Coming” to remember.
Led by Upper School Dean of Student Life Kira Rivera, student council shifted decoration duties towards the entire student body, hoping to rally more excitement heading into spirit week and the dance.
“Being a part of preparing for Homecoming has been fun this year,” sophomore Margaret Starrs said. “Because I have a bigger role in preparing for the event, I’m more eager to participate in spirit week activities.”
This year, students across all grades created circus themed decorations like drawing posters during advisory time and painting signs to put up around campus.
“It’s exciting when you’re walking through your locker room and see your poster and think, ‘hey, I made that,’” said sophomore class president Emmett Considine.
Student council members emphasized that Homecoming preparation required the whole student body, drawing in members of the Athletics Board, Activities Board and other student groups.
“We want[ed] everything to be representative of the whole student body,” said Upper School Student Body President Paylin Barnes.
While students took a larger role in the preparation process, the dance itself remained largely in the hands of Rivera. Rivera oversaw the bulk of the dance’s logistical planning from securing the venue and managing the budget to coordinating security details and organizing ticket distribution.
She emphasized that managing safety and security is one of her top priorities for the Homecoming dance. One step she took to ensure that the event was secure was requiring color-coordinated wristbands for each grade.
“In the case of an emergency, we need to know who’s in the building,” Rivera said. “Having bracelets is really helpful because I know exactly who’s in what grade.”
Spirit Week was another way for students to get excited about the Homecoming games and dance. According to junior class president Ethan Sadka, the goal for Spirit Week was to involve students through posters, advisory games, dress-up days and color war events.
An event that is especially popular is the Turnabout Games, where seniors and juniors compete against each other in football and volleyball matches while wearing specialized tank tops.
In order to prepare for such a special part of spirit week, Barnes, who helped coordinate last year’s tank tops as junior class president, said the process begins with junior and senior class secretaries collecting and sending out the order forms, while Rivera manages the ordering and distribution process.
Students were able to see the effort from Rivera and student council, leading to a fun week.
“Spirit Week was really fun and it was fun dressing up every day. Shout out to student council for planning an amazing week,” junior Noelle Harrison said.
