Leadership explains the process behind homecoming planning

One of the most memorable weeks of high school has ended and the leadership team reflects on the countless hours and dedication that it took to complete it. For weeks before homecoming, the leadership team has assembled together to decide on games, activities and events happening during homecoming.

The long process took hours and teamwork to create a fun-packed week. Each class also had to construct their very own float around the theme of “Vacation Destinations”. On the weekends, students from each class gathered together to paint, build and bring to life their own “destination.” The struggle to find volunteers and a host house made it difficult to formulate a float in time for homecoming.

Student leadership planned every event that had been introduced and performed for homecoming. With different opinions and ideas, the leadership struggled to come together to decide on days. The goal was to not pick the same days as the previous year. Many hours spent working on signs and decorations were needed to pull off the hectic week.

Leadership had difficulties when it came to making new decisions and involving all students in the activities. Brooklynn Ainley, ‘17, a leader in organizing the Royal Battle festivities, expresses how the class struggled to plan activities. 

“In the beginning of getting the whole event together the class had to decide on dress up days and all the new events like the Royal Battle,” Ainley said. “Multiple times the dress up days and other decisions had been changed which was very difficult.”

The leadership teacher Vickey Belmont, guided the class as the event started to come together. On the day of homecoming, she had put together many of the photo backdrops and field decorations.

“The goal this year was to let the students do most of the work so they could understand how to plan events and deal with different types of opinions,” Belmont said. “On the day of homecoming, the morning group and I blew up many balloons and put together some of the photo backdrops. The students who had helped had to make do with what we had and everything turned out just how they wanted it.”

After many class meetings full of different opinions and views, the homecoming night itself was pulled together nicely. Although the process was not easy for the leadership, the end result turned out to be fulfilling and successful.

This year marked change for the tradition of homecoming, the Royal Battle between the kings and queens was designed to involve both to compete in a friendly competition. Before the performance day of the Royal Battle, both kings and queens needed to design a routine whenever they got the chance whether it be on weekends or after school.

Photojournalism director Kori Friesen took the role this year to oversee and help the kings and queens with their routine.

“To pull this off it took a lot of practice and time,” Friesen said. “We had to first find music and combine it together, once we found our music we looked on YouTube for choreography. The first practice I had with the queens we were watching videos and learning dance moves. We had at least six practices together.”

King candidate Chris Kollenkark shares about the time and effort it took to pull off the king routine.

“The routine itself took a lot of hours and focus,” Kollenkark said. “Gillian Rea helped teach us the dance along with Mrs. Friesen. The hardest part was finding time to rehearse for about 2-3 hours. The guys met up for about seven practices.”

The routine for the Royal Battle was a difficult and time consuming process, queen candidate Sierra Duffy gives insight on how the girl’s prepared for their routine.

“It took several weeks of hard work to pull this off,” Duffy said. “We practiced several times during the week with each other. It definitely took some dedication from all of us to  meet together after school to practice. We looked to YouTube to learn some dance moves for our routine.”

The goal this year was to let the students do most of the work so they could understand how to plan events and deal with different types of opinions. On the day of homecoming, the morning group and I blew up many balloons and put together some of the photo backdrops. The students who had helped had to make do with what we had and everything turned out just how they wanted it. —Vickey Belmont

Students from each grade organized and created floats to be judged on homecoming night” Duffy said. ” Less and less students don’t want to participate in building the float because of the hard work and dedication that it takes. It is important that each class has committed people and lots of materials.”

New student, sophomore Natalya Hill was one of the many that participated in working on the float for her class.

“Our float took about 6 to 7 days to work on and complete,” Hill said. “A lot of our class worked on it, at least one third of it. Once more people showed up to the meetings the float was easier to work on. We worked well together and didn’t argue much. I thought it turned out pretty great.”

In previous years, junior Trevor Trevino, ‘17, has volunteered to help at the float meetings.  He shares how he prepared for the float and what it takes to build it.

“We prepared by going to the float meetings,” Trevino said. “Before each meeting we made a list of what we needed to do. I think if we had more resources and more hands to work we could have done a lot more detailed work but overall it was great.”

Every year as homecoming arrives, much preparation is made to complete a memorable and interactive week for students. The leadership makes sure that everything is running smoothly and students are provided all essential information. Although the hard work and lead up to homecoming is stressful,  the memories made and long hours of work all pay off in the end.

To find out more about the 2015 Homecoming, read King and queen lip sync battle sets new homecoming tradition.

For another features article, read Yosemite celebrates 125 years of rich history, scenery.