Homecoming Week’s Planning Process: What is it like?
The student government class at Brighton High School has worked diligently to put on homecoming week. Every September, there is a week dedicated to various in-school and out-of-school events including peach fuzz, powder puff, class games, and, of course, the homecoming dance. This week can seem stressful enough for participants as they have to plan outfits, arrange plans with their friend groups, etc. However, it is much more worrisome for student government students because they have to put in a lot of thought and time into this week. The homecoming week planning process begins in the spring. Yes- the spring! At the beginning of March, the student government adviser breaks the class up into small groups and gives them a specific assignment. They must create a slideshow presentation of a theme idea for the school’s next homecoming. The slideshow must include ideas for the title, dress-up days, float themes, decorations for the school and for the dance, concessions, and a budget. After having time to organize the slideshow presentation, students present the slideshow to their classmates. Then, every student government classmate votes anonymously for the theme he/she liked best. Once the theme has been decided, the work is split up among the class. The next assignment is to create a slideshow for the administration so the theme can be approved. The class is split into groups, once again. One group is asked to work on slides for the spirit week themes while another focuses on school decorations and so on and so forth. By the end of the school year, the class has a general idea of how they want the upcoming homecoming week to look like. Summer is a nice time to relax, but there is no time to waste when August rolls around. Class members place themselves into the committee for the event they are most interested in. Committees include, but are not limited to, school decor, stadium decor, bonfire, royalty, dance, powder puff, peach fuzz, class games, and parade. Each committee consists of two chairs and approximately three to four (other) members. Chairs are chosen by committee members themselves in order to have a say in who is in charge. From then on, chairs and members work among themselves to plan their events for two to three weeks. Although homecoming week is basically a whole lot of stress piled onto thirty 14-18-year-old students for a month, it is an unforgettable experience that has a lot of thought put into it. It’s ultimately a time for everyone to come together and enjoy each other’s presence. No matter the theme, student government kids really just want everyone to have fun. I am so happy to be part of something so one of a kind with my friends!