Featuring a theme of “Lights,” 2018 Homecoming will take place on Oct. 6, promising unique features in the form of vendors, video game stops, and more yet to be uncovered at the event. The theme was announced at last year’s Summer Rally, and preparations for the dance have been going on ever since the beginning of the school year.

Homecoming, one of the largest school-wide events of the year, requires collaboration by a variety of Leadership teams — Pride, Rally, Athletics, Video Production — in order to be set up perfectly. From preparations for the rally to building decorations, Leadership oversees the entirety of Homecoming. The teams hit the ground running and began deciding the new activities and layout they will have for this year early on.  

The pressure on the Leadership crew has progressively intensified with the addition of new members combined with the fast-approaching date of the event itself. But the influx of new faces brought new, original contributions to the production of the dance, according to Katie Bried, a member of the Spirit Events committee. This year, some of these changes include the relocation of the dance floor, a new and improved ticket admission system, and the addition of new vendors, as well as other features that Leadership could not disclose.

“[We are] making sure that [the] lines are really good this year so that people can get in a lot faster … We’ve [also] changed the map around so that it’s really easy for everyone to get around and have a good time,” Madhav Vats, one of the members of the 2018-2019 Spirit Events Team, says.

From a newly expanded variety of vendors that includes Baskin Robbins and complimentary food trucks to the performance of a new D.J., the team believes that this year’s dance will be a memorable night for the attendees.

“The goal of the homecoming dance is to promote relaxation and to reward students’ hard work. Additionally, the homecoming dance is something that is [known to be] enjoyable to students,” ASB President Christina Garcia says.

Despite the tedious and sometimes exhausting preparations for the dance, Leadership teams are sure that by the end of the night, their efforts will be worth it.

“It was relatively difficult … but, in the end, it’s gonna pay off, it’s gonna turn out well,” Vats said.