Homecoming will be held outside in the high school stadium Saturday, Oct. 16 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Student Council adviser Michael Featherstone said the school decided to have Homecoming outside after talking to 12 superintendents of different schools, who were all having Homecoming outdoors. The school plans to follow all COVID-19 policies implemented for the duration of the dance, he said.
Principal Kristin Robbins said having the dance outdoors will help ensure the safety of students and staff. It is still undecided whether or not masks will be required outdoors for the dance, she said, adding that the band and gym classes must wear masks outside while athletes do not. She said the decision on whether or not masks will be required will be decided closer to the date.
“We may be able to take masks off once we get outside and if we´re distancing ourselves or dancing,” Robbins said.
The weather is one of the main concerns with the dance being held outdoors, Featherstone said. He added that Student Council is still trying to figure out what will happen to the dance in the case of rain or other bad weather.
Robbins said the school had to make sure that there would be no athletic conflicts because it was going to be on the football field.
¨Whether the dance is inside or outside, we want to make sure that any athlete would be able to come to Homecoming,¨ she said.
The change to having Homecoming outside also came from a lack of venue, Student Council Executive Board member Talia Kahan said.
Robbins said Homecoming being on the field will make the dance more accessible to students. Tickets will also cost less, and students with a Lion Pride pass will be able to avoid the fee, she added.
The money that would typically be used for a venue will be utilized in other ways, Kahan said, explaining that Student Council has booked a DJ and plans on offering refreshments.
Junior Student Council member Kate Baldwin said she hopes that Homecoming will still offer students with typical Homecoming activities. The theme for the dance will be ¨Starry Night,¨ as it plays into the dance being outside, she said.
The themes for spirit week will be pajama day, twin day, fraternity or sorority day and class colors, she added.
¨Because we are in school, spirit week will be advertised more than last year because we have the announcements,” Baldwin explained. “We can use posters and we can use social media in order to get the message out.¨
The process of electing Homecoming monarch will be similar to how Homecoming monarchs have been chosen in the past, Featherstone said. The plan is to have one gender-neutral monarch this year, he stated.
The voting process for the monarch will begin with the top 10 candidates, then will be narrowed down to the top five and then the final winner will be chosen out of the five, he said.
Baldwin said that while the dance will be different, she is glad it is still being offered to students.
¨Even though COVID-19 has greatly affected these past few years, I think that Homecoming can still be something for all students to enjoy,¨ Baldwin added.
