Junior Erin Williamson cruises through the mall searching for a classy, short black or maroon dress. Homecoming week is just around the corner and she wants to find a dress that makes her feel confident when she walks through the doors of RHS on the day of the homecoming dance.

“When it comes to buying a dress, it’s important to stay within a budget,” Williamson said. “There’s always going to be that one dress we all want, but sometimes, that $3,000 long dress isn’t worth it. Also keep in mind to buy something that’ll make you feel and look amazing. You only have four homecomings; make them worthwhile.”

Finding the perfect dress isn’t the only thing that has to be done homecoming week.

During homecoming week, many of the students of RHS vigorously prepare for and make plans for the pep assembly the homecoming game, and the homecoming dance. Former RHS dance team member, junior Parker Work knows what it’s like to have to prepare a routine for the pep assembly.

“If you mess up [while rehearsing the dance routine], the teacher makes you redo it. It takes a lot of hard work,” Work said. “We worked on our routine from beginning of the summer to the pep assembly because It’s scary performing in front of the school. Everyone is just like staring at you and it’s creepy and if you mess up it’s noticeable,” Work said.

According to Work, after the pep assembly they don’t just stop working on their routine.

“After the pep assembly we continue to work on our routine even more to clean it up for competition,” Work said.

Student Council member, Andrea Cota explains some of the things that Student Council has been planning for homecoming week.

“We’ve been planning the lunch games, which go really nice with the theme of homecoming, haunted,” Cota said. “We are planning to do a lot of new games this year, that we have never tried before,”

The lunch games are not the only thing Student Council has been planning to have happen Homecoming week, according to Cota.

“In addition to that we’ve been planning the pep assembly. We plan to of course have all the lip syncs, and this year we are planning to have a game of human hungry hippos.. we hope; we’re going to have to test that out first. Also, we’re doing a captain relay and the teachers are doing a lip sync battle”

Junior Dipra Debath has been preparing to attend his first homecoming dance this year. In year’s past he has been uneasy about attending but this year he has decided that it’s now or never.

“I do plan on attending homecoming this year. I know that the cross country team goes as a group every year, and as a team member, I’d like to go with the group if we do it this year,” Debath said.  “I haven’t actually gone to homecoming yet because I’ve gotten a lot of mixed responses as to how the dance is, but I think going with the team will be a great experience and I guess I should go at least once.”

According to Cota, student council has been working hard to make this year’s homecoming great.

“We’ve been playing since last year,” Cota said. “Decorations are going to be awesome and we have an awesome DJ.”

Junior Lauren Lauth is making plans to go to the Homecoming Game, which this year is Rochester vs. Seaholm.

“I’m most likely going to the homecoming game because it’s full of spirit,” Lauth said. “Last year, I went with friends. It was a lot of fun. There was a lot of excited people there to cheer on their team.”

To get in the spirit, during Homecoming week there are spirit days where each day has a theme that the students dress up for, such as camo day and tropical day. Debath is planning to participate in these days.

“I will for sure participate in all of the spirit days because it’s great to see everybody taking part and it brings us closer as a school community,” Debath said.  “There’s also a really cool effect in seeing a whole bunch of people taking their own unique spin on each day’s theme.”

Senior Emma Fickle is excited to be a part of the spirit days for her senior year.

“Heck yeah I’m a senior that’s what senior year is all about since you can go all out unlike when you were an underclassmen,” Fickle said. “When you’re a freshmen then you don’t know what your limits are unlike when you’re a senior.”

This year, the theme for Homecoming is Haunted. The theme thus far, has received mixed reviews. Sophomore Rainey Golab isn’t a fan of the theme.

“I don’t like the theme at all. I would rather it be a space theme because it would be so cool and less boring and weird,” Golab said. “Halloween is overrated.”

Lauth however, believes that the theme will be great and that the students will enjoy it.

“I think it’s an awesome theme because it’s spooky. It seems like a theme a lot of students will like,” Lauth said. “It would be really cool if everyone came dressed in spooky clothes, but I still think it’s better that people come to the dance in traditional clothes.”

Golab overall sees the week before homecoming as a positive time where RHS is high in spirits.

“Homecoming week is a great week because everyone is so full of spirit, It’s such a great time to get hyped for the game and dance,” Golab said. “It’s pretty cool to see the RHS community come together and be in high spirits together.”