Arrowhead Students Were Prepared For Homecoming Festivities

Homecoming: a formal dance populated majorly by underclassmen. Students enter the gym in their best attire and the aroma of sweaty gym socks fills the air. Ah, homecoming.  However, the origins of homecoming are different from today.

According to active.com, homecoming first originated in 1870 during the Harvard-Yale game when the colleges invited alumni to return home for the game, which would later be named the “homecoming” game. By the 1920’s,homecoming had spread to high schools, incorporating a football game, a parade, spirit week, and a dance.

Senior Lexi Bartz says, “The parade was my favorite event. I liked being able to walk with my team and show our school spirit.”

AHS’ parade was held on Sunday September 20th at 4 pm, and was followed by the annual students vs staff football game.

According to active.com, the average attire is a mid-length dress for the girls, and a dress shirt and pants for the guys. According to a survey done by Seventeen Magazine, the average price of a homecoming /prom dress was $231.00 in 2014. That number had risen 20% in just one year. The attire not only consists of the dress, but also shoes and handbag. This can take the total above $300.00.

“I haven’t been to homecoming since sophomore year, and I don’t plan on going again,” says Claire Minor, a senior at Arrowhead. “I just didn’t have that much fun, and I’d rather not spend a ton of money on a dress that I will only wear once.”

Arrowhead High School’s homecoming, which was Hollywood themed, was held on Saturday September 26th from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m in the west gym. Tickets were on sale for $15 in the lunchroom until the Friday before the dance. VIP tickets were sold for $20 and allowed students to skip the entry line and go to the front of the coat check. Additionally, students who purchased the VIP pass received a free glow stick. Tickets additionally were sold for $20 from 9-11 am on Saturday in the north campus commons. Students needed bring their ticket and an ID.

A variety of traditions take place during homecoming week. In Texas, it is common for girls to be asked with giant mums often decorated with ribbons and teddy bears. The mums can weigh up to 12 pounds and cost anywhere from $50 to $200. The idea for mums originated because of the chrysanthemum flower, which primarily blooms primarily in October. Boys began buying these flowers for their homecoming dates as corsages. However, as time went on ribbons started to be added to these flowers to make the corsages more extravagant.

At AHS, many students ask their dates to homecoming in creative ways such as attending their sports game with a sign or creating a scavenger hunt. While giant mums are not worn around the school, students do wear corsages and boutonnieres.

Spirit week is most common among high school homecomings, according the active.com. These dress up days are a way for the students to rally together and show their school spirit.