At 6 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 19, the second Homecoming Dance for Convent and Stuart Hall students will take place. Themed to “The Great Gatsby,” the dance has students getting their tickets, their sparkly outfits, and their Homecoming proposal posters ready in anticipation for the big day.
“I am very excited about this year’s homecoming theme,” senior Ainsley Smith said. “The Flood Mansion is the perfect location for a dance with the “Great Gatsby” theme,”
This year’s Convent and Stuart Homecoming Dance theme is “The Great Gatsby.” The classic 1925 novel represents all things Roaring Twenties, including extravagant parties, eccentric characters and flappers (the stereotypical ‘1920s woman’ usually wearing short skirts and bobbed hair and going against the social norms of the era).
(Convent and Stuart Hall)
Last year, the homecoming theme was “Starry Knight”- a medieval spin on the Vincent van Gogh painting. Even though it’s not required to be on theme, many students enjoy dressing up to match the motif of the event. For example, student activities coordinator Reba Sell says to “channel your inner Daisy Buchanan or Jay Gatsby” in an email about the dance, basically saying to go big or go home when it comes to glitz and glamour.
“The student government took a massive lead on the picking and planning of Hoco,” Reba Sell said. “The student government is leaning into the flapper era for decorations to get people dancing and having fun.”
Outside of the dance, Spirit Week has involved themed dress days such as pajama day, jersey day, tropical day, mismatch day, and school spirit day. The Homecoming Game schedule has also been packed, with the Homecoming football game kicking it all off on Sept. 12 and the upcoming volleyball game against San Domenico bringing it to a close on Sept..
“I’m so excited to have my first experience of a real dance,” freshman Zoe Hogue said. “I love seeing all of my friends getting asked out to Hoco and finding out dresses! I’m expecting a very fun and memorable dance.”
One aspect of the Homecoming Dance that has only emerged in the past few years is Homecoming proposals. Inspired by Prom-posals, some Convent and Stuart Hall students have made creative posters to ask either friends or dates to attend the dance with them. These posters usually involve puns or inside jokes (e.g., a guitar-themed proposal that says, “It’d rock if you’d go to Hoco with me!”) accompanied by color and/or drawings.
“I think it will be very fun to dress up in roaring 20’s wear and celebrate homecoming with my class for one last time,” Smith said. “I am very sad that this is my last homecoming week, but I look forward to coming back as an alumni.”
