Since Homecoming is approaching, student council will host the Black and Gold Ball Sept. 17 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the cafeteria along with activities throughout the week.

“We want to build from our dance last year since it was our first dance in a while,” senior and Student Body President Calvin Mokaya said. “We hope to really transform the dance this year and provide goodies and refreshments and an all around wonderful experience for our dance.” 

The week-long theme “All Around the World” has changed for the dance to provide a more versatile experience.

“We’re doing black and gold since it’ll make the decorations look nicer,” senior and Student Body Secretary Hannah Aquino said. “We felt as if ‘All Around the World’ could easily look tacky if we don’t do it right and maybe hard to understand the theme.”

For a more enjoyable time, junior and student council representative Ellen Mba said the dance will have food, games and plenty of decorations.

“For the preparation of the Homecoming dance this year we are going to partner with stores that can donate items like food and drinks,” Mba said. “We planned for a DJ to be in the middle of the cafeteria instead of the stage so we can fill in space. The Hoco dance committee also decided that we should add games and Homecoming lights in the courtyard.”

With the dance comes a week full of Homecoming activities.

“We have planned five dress up days for the week of Homecoming (including) souvenir shirt day, beach attire day, pajama day, Homecoming shirt day and culture day,” Mokaya said. “ We have two big pep rallies planned: our community pep rally and the school pep rally on that Friday.”

To get ready for all the Homecoming festivities, student council has been working since summer break.

“We had numerous summer workdays that lasted sometimes eight hours to help prepare for Homecoming and a busy school year,” Mokaya said. “Our council puts in over 25 hours a week after school hours to help make Homecoming great for our school. I can’t thank my officers enough for the unnoticed work they put in.”