By Arman Orlando Buyukacaroglu

It’s that time of year again! Homecoming is here, and these are five things to know about the upcoming festivities.

1. Spirit Week is the time to show your wildcat pride through fashion.

Spirit week starts on Monday, October 1st with ‘Merica Monday, a day when everyone shows their patriotism by wearing red, white, and blue. Tuesday, October 2nd, is Tropical Tuesday, a day when students wear Hawaiian shirts. Wednesday, October 3rd, is Character/Meme Day when everyone dresses up as a T.V. or movie character, or as someone from a vine or meme. Thursday, October 4th, is Throwback Thursday when everyone dresses like in the the old days–colorful sweat-bands like it’s the 80’s, a greaser from the 50’s, etc. Friday, October 5th, is Class Colors Day, when students wear white if they’re a freshman, black if they’re a sophomore, green if they’re a junior, and a toga–the tradition of which is still unknown–if they’re a senior.

Here’s a video of how to make a toga for the seniors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O15g5TKzsQ

2. The Homecoming Parade is the time to show your school spirit with your team or club.

On Wednesday, October 3rd, the annual homecoming parade will commence at 6 p.m. The parade, which correlates with the Vintage Boardwalk theme of the dance, will begin at Arundel Middle School and conclude at the front of the high school, where judging will take place. Typically, clubs and sports teams try to make a float relating to the theme of the dance. After judging, the block party will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the G-Hall parking lot. The party will include a DJ, food trucks, and more.

3. The Pep Rally is the time to get pumped up for the football game.

The Pep Rally will be on Friday, October 5th, during third and fourth period. The school will be on a two-hour early dismissal schedule for this purpose. The Pep Rally is traditionally held at Carroll Field, however it can be moved to the gym if weather conditions are bad.

At the Pep Rally, students sit by graduating class and compete to be the most spirited. The dance company, cheer team, marching band, and color guard perform, Spirit Day winners are announced, and the Homecoming Court is presented.

4. The Game is the time to prove Arundel is the best.

The Homecoming football game is against North County High School on Friday, October 5th, at Carroll Field. The Junior Varsity game begins at 4 p.m. and the Varsity game begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, as always, will be sold at the entrance for $5.00.

5. The Dance is the time to have fun with your friends.

Saturday, October 6th, is the annual homecoming dance. The theme for this year’s dance, which will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.,  is Vintage Boardwalk. Hannah Maher, President of the Student Government Association, added,“The theme and decorations basically look like the carnival portion of a boardwalk, however, with a more, ‘vintage’ flare. The ticket check-in will look like a traditional ticket stand you would find at a fair. There will also be decorations such as typical games you would find at a boardwalk.”

Photo ID will be needed to get into the dance to ensure that the student attending also bought the ticket and for security reasons. School ID’s should be given out before the time of the dance, so this should not be a problem. If students leave the dance, they cannot go back in unless it is an emergency.

The dress code is semi-formal. Men should wear buttoned down shirts with a tie or nice sweaters, a sports jacket or suit,  and chinos or slacks. Shirts must be worn at all times. Women should wear semi-formal dresses or dressy skirts and blouses. Semi-formal pantsuits are also acceptable. Bare or open backs are acceptable, but bare stomachs or bare midriffs are not permitted, and see-through apparel or dresses with slits that are above mid-thigh area are not permitted. Garments that are extremely tight or extremely low-cut are also unacceptable. Casual wear, jeans, or sneakers are not permitted. If need be, the dress code will be enforced.

Those who attend the dance are expected to behave in a mature, dignified manner. Any dancing that implies promiscuous, sexual activity is prohibited. There will be one Chick-Fil-A meal provided for each person, which is included in the price of the ticket. A DJ will be at the dance and song requests might be taken at the SGA twitter account @sga_19.