Excited students and staff members have begun to prepare for the OH Homecoming Dance on Sept. 21. where students gather to socialize, dance, and celebrate the first major occasion at OH.
“This year was a little bit different because Homecoming is so much sooner than we would normally have it,” said Student Council Sponsor and OH counselor April Ponte.
Students and staff began preparing for the dance earlier than normal this year, since Homecoming is typically in October.
“Coming back to school and doing all the work on top of a regular job has been challenging trying to get the information out to staff and students,” Ponte said.
The beginning of the school year is filled with many announcements that many students and staff are excited to hear about. These updates help get everyone enthusiastic about the rest of the school year.
“People came in as early as July 1st to buy dresses”, said senior Payton Shaw, an employee at The Prom Shoppe in Downtown Oswego. Since the dance is coming so soon in the school year, the shopping for the perfect dress began earlier than expected.
“I went to The Prom Shoppe downtown Oswego with some of my friends which is where we found our dresses,” said senior Kate Epstein.
With the option to go online shopping for dresses or in person shopping, many have wound up at The Prom Shoppe. They have a variety of dresses and tuxes that can make the preparation process easier for the students.
“Dress shopping can be a hard process because there are a lot of opinions from parents and friends,” Shaw said.
During this time girls try on many dresses that they could potentially wear at the dance. This is one of the most important steps in the preparation process of Homecoming.
“I am going to Floral Expressions Downtown Oswego to get me and my boyfriend’s corsage and bouttiniere,” Epstein said.
To go along with their date’s outfits, many girls get flowers to match the colors they are wearing. Flower and dress shopping is just the beginning of the fun events for Homecoming, not including the ones that are already being prepared by our staff members.
According to Ponte, “It’s ultimately the staff that’s in charge of the parade, Mr. Oswego, hallway decorating, the pep assembly, and the dance.”
The week of homecoming is filled with entertainment prepared by the OH staff and student council. They are very dedicated to making the week of the dance the best for the students.
“My favorite part of homecoming is the prep for it like the pep assembly, spirit week and games leading up to it,” Epstein said. Homecoming week is an opportunity for students to get involved in school spirit.
“It’s the vibe of the whole week, there’s a lot of excitement and a lot of celebration and a lot of things for students to get involved in,” Ponte said.
