Homecoming this year at CHS looked much different than it has in previous years, due to COVID restrictions and regulations.

The student council had to think outside the box to hold a form of Homecoming safely at CHS while taking social distancing precautions. They came to the conclusion that there was no real way to have a Homecoming dance that would be safe for students to attend.

Although there wasn’t a dance this year, there still were theme days and decorations around both Swartz and McGowan with Carlisle colors this Homecoming week. The themes included costume day (on Mon 10/26 for A students and Thurs 10/29 for B students) as well as class colors day where seniors wore white, juniors green, sophomores orange, and freshman brown. Both cohorts will have an in-person day where they wore their class colors, A students on  Tues 10/27 and B students on Fri 10/30.

Last week’s Bison Block has been taken up by activities, known as the Bison Block Party.

Sophie Akujobi, 9th grade student council member at CHS, summed up what Bison Block had to offer.

“Minute to win it challenges, food challenges, teachers trying to do the Bison Beat (which is a cheer done at home games to get the crowd hyped up) and Family Feud challenges,” Akujobi said.

There was also still a Homecoming queen this year. The queen was announced at the Homecoming football game, which only seniors are permitted to attend, on Friday the 30th.  This year’s queen was senior Heidi Heinlein (our CHSPeriscope.com co-editor-in-chief!)

Some students have said that they were disappointed at first about the dance being completely canceled, but then have come around seen the good in what this Homecoming week had to offer.

“My friends and I actually had plans to get all dressed up and dance the night away, if that’s even what freshman do,” said Akujobi. “We had it all planned out over the long summer because we thought this would all be over. Honestly, I’m kind of okay with it, I love that I get to dress up in a costume instead of some $100 dress!” 

Jonathan Cox is the CHS student council president, and one of the driving forces behind Homecoming week.

“This clearly wasn’t the senior year that my senior classmates and I were hoping for,” Cox said, “so it’s definitely a bummer to think about all the fun events we’ve missed and will miss, like the homecoming dance, powder puff, the dodgeball tournament, and so many other fun things to do at our school.”

“That being said,” Cox added. “I’ve still tried to find the silver lining in this upside-down year, trying not to worry about things I can’t control and making the most of the current situation. The homecoming dance is one of the school’s biggest and best social events of the year, so even though I’ll miss it, I was proud of what our council came up with for spirit week this year,” Cox said.

Even though we aren’t able to have a normal Homecoming with a dance this year, CHS has still implemented activities to make this week fun and as close to an actual Homecoming as we can make it with Covid limitations.