By Sarah Rafael--Eagle Staff Writer
To the expressed disappointment of many, Franklin County has not had a homecoming since 2019, but now the Student Council Executive Board has been hard at work to make sure it's back with a bang.
Heading up the board is Spanish teacher Laura Bird, who's been supervising the Executive Board for two years. She began planning last year's Homecoming, but COVID brought those aspirations to a halt. Now, her past plans have transferred into what will become this year's dance, and everything is led by students.
”It's amazing to see the way the students can run this because I ask questions but it's all them… It’s so rewarding to just be part of watching the growth of these students," Bird said.
Senior Haley Cook, President of the board, explained that SCA has become a big part of her life, and planning Homecoming is one of the highlights of that experience.
"I've been in SCA and Eagle Excellence since I was a freshman, and honestly, the best part is seeing the looks on everyone's faces when they see Central Gym for the first time” Cook shared. "The color and look of homecoming also brings out the meaning of Homecoming.”
The theme for homecoming this year is Enchanted Forest/Fairytale.
"Think about the setting of your favorite 'storybook tale' and you'd get what we're going for as far as the theme!” Cook explained.
Planners want students to enjoy themselves but the school also wants to make sure that student safety comes first.
"We will have police presence, we'll have our security officers available, we will have teacher chaperones so you will not be able to get in without an ID," Bird listed.
Precautions extend to out-of-school dates also.
"If you have a date that's not from our school [they must be] pre-approved and they will be on the list and have to have their ID as well," Bird continued.
A lot goes into planning Homecoming and many may just think that it is an easy task but Executive Board members like Cook know otherwise.
"We plan lots of fundraisers, community service projects, service projects for our staffulty, etc," she said. "We are kind of the unseen heroes in the sense that Executive Board takes charge of literally everything."
Still, Cook said, it's a labor of love.
"We are a select group of students who are so passionate about school culture and our local community that we want a place to vent that energy, and Executive Board provides that, which is why we get to organize so many things."
It takes hundreds of hours to plan and decorate for Homecoming.
”It’s like a wedding with no wedding cake, so you plan a big party from every little detail. The hardest part is the paperwork," Bird commented.
The fun to board members comes after the administrative work when decorating actually starts. This process takes time both in and out of school.
"All the fun is in the decorating...It's a (hopefully) two-day event... Last year, they said they decorated late Thursday night. They didn’t leave until 1 AM Friday night and I think they were back the next day to finish up a few things," Cook recalled.
All that inspiration, organization, and perspiration comes together to create a memorable night for FCHS students and their dates on October 8 starting at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale for $20 through SchoolCashOnline. In-person cash sales will begin in the auditorium on October 4 from 8:00-8:25 AM.
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