By Johna Lesher ‘24 and Kaylee Lando ‘24
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, Conestoga Valley High School is hosting their annual Homecoming dance. The theme of this year’s dance is “movies.” The dance will be from 7p.m. to 10p.m.
Student Council will be selling tickets during lunches from October 2nd – 11th for $10 each (cash or check). Students must bring their ID with them to purchase their tickets.
English teacher and Student Council advisor Jesse Shenk stated, “I am very excited for Homecoming this year! I really enjoy being able to go from a plan to reality in about a month. We have the Homecoming Court, Spirit Week, the pep rally, and the dance, and it all just comes together in a very fun and exciting week at the school.”
The dance is the culmination of a week of activities called “Spirit Week.” The Spirit Week agenda encourages students to wear a fun and funky array of clothes with a different outfit or item for each day of the week.
According to Junior Haley Prescott, “I really enjoy Spirit Week and look forward to it every year. Participating in themes is so fun, and I encourage all my friends to do the same.”
Another beloved Homecoming tradition is the court. The Homecoming court consists of 8 girls who are picked by the votes or nominations of the senior class. These girls are usually chosen because they are role models for other students. These girls then choose escorts who walk them out at the pep rally.
The day before the Homecoming dance, Student Council hosts a pep rally. There, the girls on the court are introduced and walk out with their escorts. They then show off their handshakes that they created together. Afterwards, the boys change and do a dance for the entire school. Then there are skits, performances, and games/competitions. The classes compete against each other for points, and the class with the most points earns the school spirit stick.
That night is the Homecoming football game. During half time, the Homecoming court voting results are announced and one of the girls is crowned Homecoming queen.
The football games have a big impact on students of our school, “I feel like it really brings our school community together and it’s a great way to show spirit when celebrating the football team and our Homecoming court,” said Junior Hannah Chandler.
While the football game is going on, Student Council is busy setting up the school inside. They put up decorations, posters, and get everything prepared for the big day.
Conestoga Valley’s theme for the year is “movies.” Shenk explained, “It came from Barbenheimer hype over the summer and just feels like it made sense to do. We plan to show the theme in posters leading up to Homecoming, but the theme will be part of the pep rally intro and the dance decorations.”
According to Senior Prudence Rhoades, “Student Council has been working really hard on it and we’re doing our best to make the experience as fun as possible. It’s going to look great!”
The Homecoming dance is the Saturday night after the football game. Students are instructed to come with their tickets. Boys show up in their fancy suits and the girls in their beautiful dresses. The dance lasts 3 hours, during which the school is filled with dancing, snacks, games, movies, and a photo booth.
The freshmen are able to attend their first Homecoming dance this year, but they do have expectations. According to Freshman Camdyn Bair, “I expect it to be fun. I expect it to be really hot because a lot of people say that. I was gonna wear a suit, but I guess I have to wear a button up.”
Students across the school are enjoying the theme just as much as the Student Council, “I love that the theme is movies,” said Senior Alex Cleary. “I’m definitely a movie person so I’m really excited that that’s the theme.”
Homecoming is an important tradition in high schools because it builds up spirit. Students come together and show their pride. Homecoming week is a time for students to have fun with their friends and create memories that can last a lifetime.