Homecoming planning is underway, and the NASH Student Council has been working tirelessly to guarantee that students will be able to have the safest and most enjoyable weekend possible on October 8 and 9. 

The officers of StuCo decided on a Night at the Garden theme for the dance.

“We were talking in our group chat over the summer, and Morgan Nash, the historian of StuCo, proposed the idea and we have stuck with it since then,” senior Chelsea Boyer, the Publicity Director of StuCo, said. “We believed we could create unique and fun decorations around this theme.”

Last Wednesday, student leaders met in the auditorium for an informational meeting regarding homecoming parade floats. There it was announced that the participating groups did not have to follow any sort of theme, unlike in previous years.

“[Following a specific theme] has been the tradition in past years, but this year’s theme seemed a little too specific, so we decided to give clubs and sports creative freedom so there is no constraint and it will be easier and more fun for everyone,” Boyer said. 

However, some clubs decided to stick with the Night at the Garden theme despite it not being required. Senior Gloria Wang, the Publicity Director of Speech and Debate, said that the process wasn’t difficult for her and her fellow officers. 

“Emma Scott, the vice president of Speech and Debate, called me from work and said, ‘Hear me out, Gnomeo and Juliet,’ and I said, ‘Yes,’ and that was it,” Wang said. 

The parade floats will be judged based on a number of criteria, including originality, creativity, variety of materials, and overall appearance. Judges are chosen at random from the crowd of parade spectators, and prizes will be awarded to the winners. 

One concern that has been raised regarding the night of the dance has been the event’s location and how that will affect whether masks will be required. But StuCo has a plan — a large reception tent in the faculty parking lot in front of the school.

“NA is lifting the mask mandate for outside events, and a tented setup outside will let the dance be more breathable — both in physical space and masks. Of course, if people want to wear masks we still encourage it, but NA’s policy for outside events at the moment is to wear them if you want,” senior Gannon Sprinkle, the Vice-President of StuCo, said. 

Though some students requested the ability to invite students from other schools, StuCo was uncertain whether non-NASH guests would be allowed to attend the dance.  However, the administration recently confirmed with the StuCo officers that guests will in fact be permitted at the dance.  A required form will soon be made available for students who wish to invite a guest outside of NASH.

Though student feedback plays an important role in the decision-making process for homecoming events, Boyer noted that all of the decisions being made right now are for the students, so she hopes that everyone will be patient with those on the planning committee. 

“We love feedback and hearing students’ opinions, but some decisions are out of our control. We try to make everyone happy, but we are just doing our best to put on the best homecoming dance and parade that we can,” she said.

Tickets for the dance go on sale on Monday, September 27.