Through combining older events with new elements, Student Council worked to make the homecoming dance and its corresponding festivities more engaging for the student body.
The football game and tailgate took place on October 17, and the dance followed on October 18.
During halftime at the Homecoming football game against Council Rock North High School, this year’s Homecoming king, Cody Kawaguchi and queen, Ella Rothenberger were crowned.
The rest of the court included seniors Charlotte Boyle, Sophie Kisela, Jackie Lee, Amaya Sanchez, Nate Bucher, Matthew Kennedy, Timmy Meehan and Richard Oleykowski.
According to Student Council advisor Melissa Kling, putting together this year’s pep rally and the following events was a “team effort.”
Although away on maternity leave, Kling led her students to adjust and take leadership roles when necessary.
“My officers have really stepped up into their roles,” Kling said. “They’ve taken it upon themselves to…make a change and make Homecoming happen.”
For Kling, this increase in student leadership shifted the balance between newer activities and Homecoming traditions, especially in the pep rally.
“We have some new ideas and some old ideas to bring back,” Kling said.
According to Student Council president Maya Bernhauser, this year’s Homecoming emulated past years while involving newer “unique games and activities.”
“Homecoming is such a big tradition that everyone enjoys,” Bernhauser said. “It’s our biggest event of the year.”
Bernhauser said that her biggest goal for this year’s Homecoming was “to unite the Student Council” because that unity “ensures that people have more fun at the events [they] plan.”
“Working together has really improved homecoming planning this year,” Bernhauser said.
For Bernhauser, Homecoming does not just unify Student Council; it brings together the whole school.
“What makes events like Homecoming so important is getting the whole school together and kicking off the runway,” Bernhauser said. “I think the best part of [Homecoming] is everyone dancing together.”
According to Bernhauser, bringing everyone together for the dance will “be fun but bittersweet now that it’s [her] senior year.”
Student Council officer Adelina Cutrona, said she’s “excited to set up and run the Homecoming dance and tailgate this year.”
“This event is a really good way for Student Council to collaborate and get to know one another more,” Cutrona said, “especially because it is in the beginning of the year.”
Cutrona believes that the accessibility of the Homecoming activities helps to “spread school spirit and foster a sense of community.”
“I think Homecoming is a very important event for the whole school because the dance is open to every grade level,” Cutrona said.
Throughout Cutrona’s time in Student Council, she has seen the process of running Homecoming events “improve significantly.”
“Each year the council gets more organized and establishes a smoother process,” Cutrona said. “For example, one of the events [we added] that turned out really well was the homecoming tailgate, which we now do every year,” Cutrona said.
Kling says that whether or not events like Homecoming will go well depends on the entire student body.
“I can only do so much, and Student Council can only plan so many events,” Kling said. “If the student body doesn’t want to put their spirit in, it won’t be a success.”
Despite this, Kling had “high hopes” for this year’s homecoming pep rally, tailgate, football game and dance.
The football team went on to beat Council Rock North High School by a score of 70-0.
The score is the largest shutout in school history.
It also breaks the previous record for most points scored in a single game, which was 60 points in 2014.