After missing out on a full school football season last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual homecoming game and dance has been all the buzz at Northwood this fall.
This year, the game against Hobbton high school will fall on Friday, Sep. 24, and kick-off will be at 7 p.m. Many of Northwood’s beloved homecoming traditions will be included, such as spirit week, a pep rally, homecoming court and a dance. Although there is a twist: this year’s homecoming dance will be on Saturday, Sep. 25, while in the past the dance has always been held on the Friday night right after the game.
“Usually after the Friday [football game] not a lot of people go [to the dance],” Evelyn Dallman, a senior who has been involved in the planning of the event, said. “We thought, well, we’ve been out of school for a while, we’ve never gone to a homecoming [dance] because it [has been] always after the game – why not make this a really great one to pass on so our school has more [dances] than just the prom.”
Barclay Spotz, a Northwood parent, has taken on one of the lead roles in organizing the dance.
“Once we got the ‘OK’ from Dr. Walston and Coach Vernon a few weeks ago, my friend Joanna Wooten booked the DJ and we started talking [about] themes and locations,” Spotz told The Omniscient. “The 2021 Northwood Homecoming Dance is a collaborative effort this year. We have parents, Coach Vernon, and lots of students from Student Council, the Nuthouse, and Sustainable Student Society all helping out to make this a successful event.”
Spotz also praised Dallman for her assistance.
“Evie Dallmann heard of our plans and asked to help out,” Spotz said. “She has played a pivotal role in getting things done quickly.”
The theme of this year’s homecoming dance is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and will be held in the Northwood courtyard: an outdoor space nestled between the library and the science hallway. Dallman talked The Omniscient through the thought process behind this particular theme and location.
“We have a really naturally pretty area, which is the courtyard, and we thought ‘what theme goes with that’: A Midsummer Night Dream,” Dallman said. This theme will include mostly pastel colors, mystical and floral decorations, lots of vines, and small lights.
The courtyard may be a fixer-upper, but no task is too hard for Northwood’s students and teachers. Senior Victoria Smith, a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and a senator on the student council, began the courtyard cleanup project last semester.
“I am working with Mrs. Smith and the [Agriculture] classes to create a courtyard that the student body wants to use,” Smith said. “So far we have pulled many weeds, planted many plants and spread mulch. The homecoming crew has tried pulling a few weeds the past few weeks. They will mainly be decorating the space leading up to the event, if I understand correctly.”
Although the courtyard cleanup started as a separate project, there have grown to be many hands on deck in the beautifying process. In addition to the Agriculture classes and the homecoming crew, Northwood’s Sustainable Student Society is also pitching in to clean the courtyard with Mrs. Ciphers.
A homecoming dance on a Saturday night will definitely be one for the books, as students will get the chance to dress-up, meet with their friends and attend a formal dance – as opposed to attending a dance late at night after a football game. This is already a seasoned tradition at many other high schools – will it become one for Northwood?
“Have you ever smelled a football player after a game on Friday night?” Spotz said. “They play hard and it shows. So it was difficult for them to get to go to the dance on Friday night after the game, therefore a change to Saturday was made. I also remember when I was in high school (many moons ago) I loved dressing up for dances- it was fun! So I wanted all kids at Northwood to have a chance to not only go to the Homecoming Dance, but to ask a date, get dressed up, take pictures, go out to eat and dance with your friends- it’s a fun part of high school that you’ll never forget.”
Homecoming dance resources:
Tickets: https://gofan.co/app/events/382129?schoolId=NC1740
Guest form (must be a high school student): Homecoming Guest Form
Photographer sign-up: https://www.psstudiophoto.com/form/northwood-homecoming-dance-photos-5-for-2-4×6
Graphic via Northwood High School
