Each year, Southside’s Student Council comes up with the Homecoming theme for students to follow that week at school. Students look forward to finding out the dress-up days every year as it is a fun way to show school spirit.
This year, the student council posted on Instagram announcing the theme for this year’s Homecoming: “Soundtrack Of Your Life.”
The dress-up days for this upcoming week are “Get Your Head in The Game” (Jersey Day) on Monday, “Sweet Dreams” (Pajama Day) on Tuesday, “Ain’t No Love In Van Buren” (Country/Western) on Wednesday, “Backpack, Backpack” (Anything but a backpack) on Thursday, and “Sweet Home Southside” (Class colors) on Friday.
Senior Rosemary Bull says, “Personally, this year’s theme, “Soundtrack Of Your Life,” is by far one of the best,” she continued, “I am so excited to participate in “Sweet Dreams” which is pajama day and “Sweet Home Southside,” because they both represent many dreams I have for my future and how Southside has made my life so much more special!”
Student Council President Charlize Buie explains, “We all gather in meetings usually once a week, but the day before, the officers usually meet and discuss the main topics of what we need to get done, and what the council needs to vote for the next day so we can make orders and get teams to help put it all together.”
Buie says, “There has been debates before on which options to choose from and how we take care of these as we gather all the options, and we usually take a vote throughout the council, and majority usually wins,” she added, “If it comes to a decision where I as president don’t agree with the council, I usually will go and talk to my vice president Marybelle and my sponsor, and we can make the decision.”
Homecoming pep rallies are always the biggest here at Southside, but a lot goes on behind the scenes to make it so spectacular.
“We start as soon as the election ballot has been selected. We order their gifts and make sure that we get their personal details of them and their parents. The day after, we start making scripts, we start organizing practices for the maids, and we start organizing schedules of what is going to happen during these pep rallies so everything will go smoothly,” says Buie.
The Student Council highly encourages students to come out and support Southside at the Homecoming game and dance. Buie demonstrates some of these marketing strategies.
Buie says, “We usually like to go and get involved with students during lunches. Usually each year, we try and add something that we know students will like, so this year we are adding a photo booth to the dance so hopefully people will want to come and use that, and we are adding more photo props so people can come and take pictures,” she then explains, “For selling tickets, we usually go out and advertise during lunch, and we have a table set up where people can see the advertisements, the days, and the themes so if they are interested, they can come up and buy one.”
The decisions for the Homecoming dance are very important “not only to the council but to the school because it’s how everything comes into place.”
“We usually have teams like decorating teams, idea teams, budgeting teams, and we also like to make a playlist so that the council can add on to it. When it is time to put the dance together, all these teams will meet, and we will all help set up, and we will come together that morning,” says Buie.
“We usually keep the Homecoming dance in the same place, and we usually do like to switch it up a little, but the whole idea behind Homecoming usually stays the same and keeps to that tradition,” she continues, “We usually always have a DJ, but the main importance at Southside with the Homecoming dance, is to keep its elegance and classiness as the dance goes on. We do like to make traditions, but we usually like to switch things up so that the dances don’t get boring, and we will add new things, take away old things, and just make it new and refreshed,” says Buie.
This year’s football Homecoming game will be on Friday, Oct. 18, and the dance will be held the day after on Saturday, Oct. 19. Southside’s Student Council puts in a lot of work and effort to make Homecoming fun and exciting. All Southside students are highly encouraged to come support our school during the game and the dance.
