I tried going all out for homecoming week, and this is what happened. 

Monday: Toga day (seniors only)

I have actually waited three whole years to be able to wear a toga to school. How ridiculous is that? So, after waiting all these years, I have to say it was pretty disappointing. While the whispers, pointed fingers and turned heads did make me feel like a celebrity, no one else joined in on my fun. Before I left, my sister told me, “Why are you wearing a bed sheet? You look like a loser,” that did not boost my confidence. I came into school Monday morning wearing a bed sheet that would not stay up no matter how much I willed it to. Luckily, I got a dear friend to tie it for me and it stayed painfully against my shoulder for the rest of the day. I am not going to pretend that I did not enjoy the compliments I got as the day continued. However not many people dressed up and I didn’t like feeling so out of place. 

Tuesday: Denim day

This was a super easy theme, and definitely the one I was most excited for. I planned my outfit Sunday night, that is how excited I was. Alas, the student body let me down once again. While planning my outfit I had dreams of the hues of blues I would see in the hall, and then I walk into school to people wearing normal clothes! Honestly, I am still quite agitated. This leads me to the question, why are kids so afraid to be the person who stands out? No one is going to remember the one jean jacket and pants Jenny wore on denim day. I wish more students would live with the mentality that you should not be afraid to stand out in the crowd.

Wednesday: Jersey day

Today was awesome because this was the one theme that the male population deemed easy enough for them to participate in, and therefore the school hallways were filled with jerseys. High school kids dressing in theme=my dream come true. The girls powder puff “jerseys” (T-shirts) included the absolute funniest names on the blank space on the back. Fantastically creative names such as mine (Dirty.Geurty) included: Erin Carley, Sc(ERIN) you; Maddie Gehr, Gehr rowdy; Natalie Ceelen, Raise the Ceelen; and Miceala Bakman, watch your (BACK)man brought a buzz to the hallways.

Thursday: Black or neon outfits

After the high of last nigh’ts powder puff game, I personally didn’t have much excitement for today’s theme. I didn’t have any neon, and my dream for an outfit that would make me look like a walking highlighter, was not meant to be I guess. This failure gave me a better understanding of why kids would have an excuse not to dress up; as they may not have clothes for the theme. But everyone has a black top they can wear! I did see more neon than expected and was pleasantly surprised. This day didn’t bring much in embarrassment or awkward compliments so I would consider it a fail on my part.

Friday: Red and white for Homestead

Today was awesome! Huge thanks to Mr. Bowers for reminding us to wear our spirit wear twice because it paid off. While I was asked questions along the lines of…”Why are you dressed like that?” I still saw a lot of people who dressed in theme for the day and would triumphantly call them out. I have come to the conclusion that teenagers need to be told twice and must have the safety of knowing everyone else is dressing up as well. I think they only dressed up for fear of being the one kid not wearing red or white, which supports my theory that kids are too afraid of the world around them.

Saturday: Dress like it’s 1999 (seniors only)

This was so fun! My friends dressed up as characters from Friends (but I chose to be Kimmy Gibbler from Full House). The seniors put a lot of thought into their outfits and it went really well overall. While the dance was disappointing because no one showed up…the outfits were awesome and everyone totally conquered the theme.

To conclude, what I learned was that kids are lame and afraid of being judged or gawked at. Dressing up and standing out in a crowd scares people, but when you have the courage to stand out, other people totally respect you for it. No matter how you dress, act or look people are going to judge you. Wear stupid outfits for homecoming because you want to, and because it’s pretty fun. Do something without thinking about what other people will think of your actions because worrying about what other people’s opinions will get you no where in life.