The controlled chaos of Homecoming Week has started at Encinal, which means the return of several highly anticipated activities. The Echo takes a look at all the leadership-lead activities Homecoming Week has to offer.
Homecoming Theme
One of the most anticipated reveals each year, on August 21 leadership announced this year’s theme: Board Games. Each grade level will represents a different game. The freshmen will portray the Game of Life, sophomores have Clue, juniors have Monopoly, and seniors have Candy Land. These themes are crucial as they dictate each class’ skit, dance, and wall.
Lunchtime Events
Leadership will host a new lunchtime event each day of the week. Winners of each event will earn their class points.
- Tuesday – Sport Day
- Wednesday – Food Fair Relay
- Thursday – Brat vs Frat
- Friday – Class Pump Up
Class Shirts
Each grade produces its own shirt that’s representative of the Hoco theme. Numerous designers from each grade spend days designing and creating shirts. Students voted on shirt designs and the official selections are sold as a class fundraiser.
Dress Days
With no-school on Monday, Spirit Week officially starts on Tuesday, October 15. The dress days are as follows:
- Tuesday – Jersey vs. Jersey Shore
- Wednesday – Anything but a Backpack
- Thursday – Brat vs Frat
- Friday – Class Colors
Participation is crucial as grade levels win points based on the number of students dressing up.
How Points Work
Throughout the entirety of Homecoming Week, classes can earn points through a variety of means. These include participation in dress days, winning wall night, and cheering during the assembly. These events promote school spirit and the class that earns the most points throughout the week wins Homecoming 2024. The largest source of these points is undoubtedly the assembly with a total of 1000 class points available.
- Skit – 350 pts
- Wall – 350 pts
- Dance – 200 pts
- Overall Spirit – 100 pts
Wall Night
With other competitions focusing much more on individual students, one of the most collaborative, creative, and aesthetically pleasing competitions Homecoming week brings is wall night. In a few weeks of consistent volunteer effort, each class creates a decorative wall according to their class theme before showing it off at wall night, where the judging of each wall will occur. Wall Night this year is on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. All are welcome and encouraged to come support and enjoy the hard work of their peers.
Assembly
The Homecoming assembly is often the most anticipated event of the week, for good reason. Students go all-out in showing spirit for their class—whether by wearing bold outfits with class colors or cheering louder than the other grades—to garner points and aim to win the Homecoming competition. Class skits, followed closely by respective dances, will be performed one-by-one in the gym, along with a similar presentation of those running for Homecoming court, providing an exciting and hilarious end to the school week. On Friday, after lunch, students will be dismissed from their fourth period classes to the gym, ending the day with the assembly.
Football game preview
Historically, the Homecoming football game is meant to attract alumni to “come home” to their former school.
Encinal 2-4 (1-0) enters Homecoming fresh off the heels of a 41-0 league win over San Lorenzo. However, the Jets face first place Arroyo 5-1 (1-0) and a stout defense that only gives up 14 pts/g. The Jets will need a big game from their do-it-all running back Alexander Marston, who has 1,242 all-purpose yards and 11 total TDs this season. The Dons defeated Encinal 58-22 on Sept. 2 last year. Friday’s game starts at 7:00 PM at Thompson Field.
Dance
Regarded as one of the most memorable events in all four years of high school, this year’s Homecoming dance is on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The “Midnight in Paris” themed event is one of the only times students will be able to attend a dance throughout the year, aside from Prom for upperclassmen. All students in the 9th-12th grades can attend, with pre-purchase of a ticket ($25) and necessary forms. The dance includes a live DJ and many photo opportunities.
