By Emily Riley

Homecoming: if you’re a teenager, the word alone probably makes you think of a colorful array of images. If you’re a girl, you’re most likely imagining going for that dress that will make that perfect person finally notice you, going all out for spirit week, dreaming of being homecoming queen and getting ready with your friends, all for one seemingly magical night. If you’re a guy, your mind is working overtime as you imagine finding the perfect date, and being the star player at the homecoming football game.

But how does that night get to be so magical? Some people don’t even realize how much work gets put into the process of making homecoming possible.

Tuscarora was the first school in Loudoun County to have homecoming, taking place during the third week of school. Many students were annoyed by the dance’s timing, such as sophomore Grace Barthel. “I wish homecoming was later because I didn’t even have time to get a dress or anything,” stated Barthel.

The Tuscarora football team’s next home game was in November, which was too late to host the dance, which typically takes place in early fall. So the Student Council Association (SCA) made the executive decision to host it on the 19th.                                                  

The SCA was involved in most of the work surrounding homecoming. All those decorations you saw in the gym, cafeteria, and main hallway were done by the SCA and student volunteers as they prepped for the 951 students that would attend. According to Erin Azie, the senior class secretary, they spent a large amount of time the day of the dance preparing for the big event. “We get there at eight a.m. and stay until about five p.m., although sometimes we stay earlier or later than that,” said Azie.

They reuse the student hallway decorations for the dance, and also buy some from a catalogue with the leftover money the SCA made from previous events. This year, they actually had to meet over the summer to prepare for the dance. They worked nonstop since the start of school on the major decorations so they wouldn’t have to worry about them later on.

Mrs. Crawford, a testing coordinator and the SCA sponsor also put in tons of work. This is her sixth year as the SCA sponsor. “Sometimes our grand ideas don’t turn out looking as good as they do in our heads, but we try to make the most of it and use what we’ve got to make it look nice.”