The lights shine, music blares, and students pour into the gym in sparkly dresses and suits. But few stop to think about the weeks and months of effort that make the night possible. Behind every homecoming dance is a leadership class that spends hours working, planning, and problem-solving to create the perfect evening for their classmates.
“Literally the first few weeks of school, we were like, get ready for homecoming,” junior Mya Colleneberg said. “We needed to decide on the theme and title.” Making this first decision “consisted of a lot of debating,” Collenberg said. Senior and ASB Secretary Aliyah Aaron said “Hollywood Nights” was her idea. “What sparked it for me was a lot of the times in the past, there have been really good themes, but they either primarily fit the dress up day, or fit the dance… so I wanted to go with something more broad.”
From choosing a theme to finding a DJ, the leadership students take on dozens of tasks that stretch far beyond what people could even imagine.
Just eight days away from the dance, junior Olivia Beck said. “Well, we’re still looking for a DJ… that might be the most stressful part at the moment,” Collenberg agreed when commenting on the biggest stressor for her: “Trying to get everything ready, finding a DJ, and it’s like, coming up.”
While some responsibilities are logistical, others are based on creativity. Students in Leadership also brainstorm dress-up days, lunch activities, and decorations to fit the theme. Once the theme was decided, this year’s “Hollywood Nights” students put in countless hours to ensure every detail was coordinated seamlessly.
For inspiration, senior and ASB Secretary Lucy Dieker said, “[We] look at TikTok, we honestly look on Amazon a lot and kind of piece it together ourselves.” To ensure the decorations match flawlessly with the theme, Dieker said, “We try and keep it neutral most of the time… buy a bunch of decorations and whatever looks bad we throw out.”
This year, the leadership class added a special touch to the dance. “There’s a photo booth… usually the photo booths are a super big hit,” Aaron said.
The workload also builds community. The class divides and conquers, focusing on decoration, publicity, and music. Everyone must be constantly communicating to make sure the event runs smoothly. On the day of the dance, the class is the first to arrive and the last to leave.
