Junior Rodrigo Colunga can be seen at a round table in the main commons excitedly chatting with his friends about their upcoming Homecoming preparations. Now that it is their third Homecoming, they have their arrangements set and know the ropes.  With their plans prepared and set aside, they can focus on the fun pre Homecoming festivities like dress up days and mums. Similarly to Colunga, junior Valerie Clemente practices with the Crimson Cavalettes after school, free of the stress of unfinished Homecoming planning. Her group already booked their dinner reservations and made a plan for transportation, leaving Clemente to be able to put her full attention on practicing the Cavalette performance for the Homecoming football game.

“My group made a reservation at Agave Rio for dinner and then we’re going to take pictures. We thought it was important to prepare early so we didn’t have to worry about stuff last minute,” said Clemente.

Once students have one rushed Homecoming experience, most realize that it is much less stressful and more effective to plan ahead. Most people make dinner reservations in advance to avoid restaurants filling up, especially if they have a large group. Pictures are another cornerstone of the Homecoming experience which means students also plan where and when they will be taking their pictures. The final element to a perfect night is how one plans their outfit and any other factors on how they want to look.

“I am going to be wearing my Armani suit that I got for a wedding. Suits are expensive but versatile so I can reuse it for multiple occasions,” said Colunga.

While online shopping is popular, many high school students still flock to malls to get their Homecoming outfit, especially boys because it is harder to get a suit online than a dress. After the outfit is planned, there are still many preparations to make.

“I’m most excited to watch the football game and perform at halftime. I am a Cavalette so we have some extra stuff to take care of for homecoming,” said Clemente.

The Crimson Cavalettes have a halftime pom dance for the Homecoming game halftime, as they do every year. The girls even get mums for their directors. Not only do the Cavalettes, but other organizations like cheer and football go the extra mile for their Homecoming festivities.

“Being an athletic trainer affects me for Homecoming because I have to work the Homecoming game so I’m on the field training the players,” said Johnson.