With one of the busiest weeks of the school year at the proverbial doorstep of St. Louis High School, there’s a lot going on. The hustle and bustle of Homecoming week at SLHS is certainly fun, but it can be confusing for new students. Luckily, the Shark Scene has created a survival guide for freshmen on Homecoming 2023.
The first thing is, of course, spirit days. Spirit days, which are part of spirit week, are a staple of the SLHS Homecoming experience, but they can be a little nerve-wracking for students who don’t know what to do. Freshmen are usually familiar with the tradition, as the other schools in the district usually participate in some way or another. It doesn’t help to give some advice though! Senior Dominick Girard shared his thoughts on spirit week. “Enjoy every day to the fullest mostly because it’s just a fun time to dress up with everyone and laugh,” shared Girard. “Make it a memorable time for everyone.”
Clearly, dressing up and showing Shark pride for Homecoming is a big thing, but what about all the activities throughout the week? Powderpuff and volleybuff might not mean much to freshmen, but to upperclassmen, these are some of the most fun activities of the week! For starters, powderpuff and volleybuff are sports events, and they’re pretty simple. Powderpuff is a role reversal, where the football players coach girls in a game of football. In volleyball, the volleyball players coach the boys in volleyball!
Aside from the sporting events leading up to the game, there’s always a movie night to accompany the theme!
“I recommend that freshmen go to every event they can,” shared Curtis Brashaw, a senior. “Our school has so many fun activities throughout the week, and you won’t want to miss them. You only get to do these sort of things in high school.” Clearly, going to the activities and being an active participant, whether you’re actually in them or just spectating, is a great way to get involved in the student body!
After all of the activities leading up to Friday, the big day arrives. The entire afternoon is dedicated to a massive assembly put on by the Student Council, to make things fun. What’s the deal with the assembly, though?
“The assembly is a fun way to get everyone involved and have a little break from life to just play games and have a good time,” explained senior Rachel Jewell, the president of Student Council. “My tip is to just be involved in the assembly. Cheer for your classmates and participate in games.”
After all the rabble of the assembly, it’s time for the parade. The parade is just another way that SLHS gets people ready for Homecoming. Oftentimes, teams and clubs will be in the parade, so if you’re going to be in the parade, make sure you know what it means! Senior Jaycee Best shared, “If you’re in the parade, make sure you wave to the little kids. When a high schooler waves to them, they feel like they are on top of the world.”
Finally, though, the game comes around. The game is a big event, but it certainly feels different when in the student section, and especially different if you’re on court. Senior Jaiden Dickman, both a longtime student section enthusiast and a member of court, shared her tips. “When you’re in the student section, you should definitely participate in the cheers that both the student section and the cheerleaders do,” stated Dickman. “Be entertaining and loud, because Homecoming truly has the biggest student section. Above all, just participate and be involved.”
After all the excitement of Friday, there’s one last thing to be covered. The dance Saturday is a huge part of Homecoming at SLHS, and it holds a lot of importance. Luckily, the seniors have it covered to make sure you are as stress-free as possible for the big night! Senior Lillie Thayer said, “Enjoy yourself. Nobody cares if you have a date or not.” She also shared some thoughts on taking a date to Homecoming. “Don’t go to Homecoming, or prom, for that matter, with a senior if you’re a freshman. That’s weird. There’s no exception to this rule.”
With all of the great advice here, hopefully the freshmen class is ready for Homecoming 2023 and is ready to show its Shark pride!
Joyce • Oct 3, 2023 at 4:34 pm
So darn much fun. Well written Rowan.