The 2021-2022 homecoming will be set up within only three hours. Seeming as this is FHN’s first homecoming since the 2019 school year, having only three hours to set up will pose a bit of a challenge. Since FHN’s Stadium has been torn down, the dance has been moved over to the Francis Howell Central Stadium. Unfortunately, the Junior Spartans have games on the field all day, leaving only the hours right before homecoming to set up all of the decorations.

“We only have three hours to set up which is a little bit frustrating, especially since part of Student Council’s fun in putting on the dance is on Saturday morning everyone comes and helps set everything up,” Student Council sponsor Jani Wilkens said.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, the homecoming dance for our school is taking place at Francis Howell Central’s football stadium this year. From 7-10 p.m., students will be dancing with their friends and enjoying the food supplied by the Student Council. Tickets are on sale for $20 during all lunches. You can bring friends from other schools by filling out a guest form outside of rooms 217, 133 and the main office. Guests cannot be older than 20 or younger than a high school freshman. 

“All the homecomings this year have to be outdoors for covid reasons,” Wilkens said. “We’re having it at the football stadium at Francis Howell Central.”

This year, because of the time crunch and being outdoors, the setup process will be very different. In the past, there have been between 10 and 50 Student Council members setting up all of the decorations, from banners and balloons to the food and the lighting, in around six hours. Instead, they are having adults set up and prepare the new under-the-stars experience for everyone. For the theme of starry knight, there will be lights and scaffolding set up to look like stars. The main colors will be gold and black because they are the school’s colors, along with silver to add a more celestial and elegant feel to it.

“We can’t have it indoors,” Student Council Vice President Bree Ammons said. “I think that’s a big part of the whole homecoming setup.”

Teachers and parents will be the main help in setting up the decorations for homecoming this Saturday. Vendors have also been hired to set up lights, food and other decorations. Having only three hours to set up beforehand eliminates the Student Council’s ability to help out. Even though they can’t help right before the dance, they are spending the two weeks prior to homecoming making sure everything is ready. The adults setting up will be getting their few hours to set up everything that the student council had previously prepared.

“We are working to get some parent volunteers and teachers to help set up ahead of time,” Student Council president Natalie Abanathie said. “We’re going to have everything prepped in advance that we can so they just have to go put it up.”