As the lights, music, and excitement of homecoming approach, the students of CHS are deep in preparations: shopping for dresses, planning hairstyles, and finding someone to go with.
For many students, homecoming begins with the question, “Will you go with me?” Sophomore Waylon Keane took a unique approach: he asked someone in his theatre club using a sign during Lab.
“We’re in a club together [and] one day during lab I said I needed their help with something, so I set up the poster on a chair inside a little closet,” Keane said, “When they came in, I asked them with the sign and everything.”
Keane said the nerves were real.
“It was a little nerve-wracking the night before, but I heard from someone that they wanted to ask me anyway, so it definitely helped out,” Keane said.
Once invitations were accepted, preparation became the focus.
“First thing I am going to do is probably my hair and makeup, then get my suit,” Keane said. “One of my friends, Kai, is hosting a party beforehand, so I’m going with a bunch of other friends.”
Keane usually goes shopping for outfits, but this year he ran out of time.
“Luckily, I had a blue tux in my closet and I’m going to pair it with a nice white button-down and some jeans,” Keane said, planning to do his own makeup. “Oh yeah, girl, I am broke. I cannot afford for someone else to do it.”
Sharing her plans, freshman Emma Stradiot said she is going to be getting ready with friends starting at two p.m.
“I think I can do my own hair,” Stradiot said.
Freshman Bergen Hanisch also detailed her prep: “I’m actually wearing my sister’s dress. It took me, like, five minutes to find it.”
Freshman Leah Vollmer noted that photos were the most stressful part of getting ready
“Because I’m not very photogenic,” Vollmer said, though she estimates that she will take 300 photos nonetheless because she finds photos to be an important part of homecoming.
Pre-dance meals and photos are also an important aspect of the dance.
“We’re just getting some food at the party like pizza and stuff like that.” Keane said, “Last year, I went to the same party before with a few friends and it was a lot of fun.”
To remember the night, students plan on taking pictures before the dance. “My friend has this really scenic background of his house [that] we’re probably going to go [to],” Keane said. “There’s a bunch of mountains and stuff in the background. It’s really beautiful.”
While Keane is taking his pictures at home, other students like Hanisch are going to Meyers Ranch to take photos.
When the music starts, the dance floor becomes the main event.
“The thing that I am most excited for is when those songs come on like Cotton Eye Joe,” Keane said. “The dance circle is also really cool, I’m excited to see that again.”
Vollmer said she wants to hear “Big and Chunky” from Madagascar.
“I’ll be doing that magic Jackson worm on the floor,” Vollmer said.
Students will have the option to socialize, dance, or play games at the event.
“It depends what mood I’m in,” freshman Emma Stradiot said. “[I’m looking forward to] hanging out with my friends this year.”
Tonight, the dance will start at 7 p.m. and go until 10.
“I’m not a big dancer, but I want to join a bigger group and make memories at the dance,” Keane said.
Homecoming isn’t simply about outfits or dancing — it’s about the memories students create with friends, the traditions they build, and the experience of being part of a school-wide celebration.
“I want to dance for a good part of the night and make memories with friends,” Keane said.
