Student Life

Soaring with spirit: 2024 Homecoming

Isabella Phillips and Jesse Shalev

September 27, 2024

The Green Hope cafeteria was decorated with balloon, streamers and velvet ropes to capture the red carpet theme.

Planned by students, for students, Homecoming is one of the biggest events held during the school year, with many having high expectations for it every year. It’s open to the entire student body and a high turnout is expected every year.

The GH Falcon sat down with Damla Ayrilmaz (’25), vice president of the student body, to talk about the planning process behind the dance. “We’ve been planning this for the past month and a half,” said Ayrilmaz. “That’s because we have experience from doing this last year and we know what we’re doing.” Through the massive planning process, organization can be a major challenge. There is a lot to plan for, and it’s very difficult to keep track of it all. Ayrilmaz said the biggest challenge was “making sure we have all the decorations down, all the DJs and making sure we have everything in order.”

This process is not a solo task either, with half of the student council working on it at any given time. Then there’s the most crucial part of the planning, the theme. The theme is the most immediately noticeable element of the homecoming dance, but deciding on what it should be is one of the simpler parts of homecoming planning. “With Prom people want it to be more of a surprise, but with homecoming we just announce it when we’re ready,” Ayrilmaz said, referring to the announcement of the homecoming theme.

The theme is voted upon by the homecoming planners, with especially difficult or contentious decisions being outsourced to the student body for voting via Instagram. This isn’t to say that the theme is always simple, as the planners have run into challenges with the themes they choose. “Last year we did a greek gala theme for homecoming and we just didn’t have the budget for it,” Ayrilmaz said. “So this year we just went with a red carpet theme.”

Although the seniors will not be planning homecoming after graduation, they are still given the opportunity to impart their wisdom onto the next generation, ensuring that no planning committee starts from nothing. “Once we graduate, we’re going to leave everyone with the advice that we’ve learned from this year,” Ayrilmaz said in relation to the seniors on the planning committee who will be graduating after this school year.

Overall, Homecoming can be a monumental task that’s difficult to plan and execute. The Homecoming dance is an important Green Hope tradition, so it’s important to recognize the people working hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.

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About the Contributors

Isabella Phillips, Staff Writer

Isabella Phillips is a sophomore at Green Hope and this is her first year on the GH Falcon staff. Aside from her passion in writing, which was first sparked in kindergarten after writing a superhero story, a few of her interests include jigsaw puzzles, spending time with her family and watching true crime shows. As an aspiring journalist, Isabella looks forward to exploring the Green Hope community during her time with the GH Falcon.

Jesse Shalev, News Editor

Jesse Shalev is a senior at Green Hope High School and is in his first year writing for the GH Falcon. He was born in New York, New York and raised in Stamford, Connecticut before he moved to North Carolina. Jesse first discovered his passion for writing during the movie, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters." Since then, he’s decided to capitalize on writing by taking his favorite class, creative writing. Jesse usually writes fantasy stories or non-fiction essays about media. Outside of school, he has a variety of interests such as playing video games like Splatoon, Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda on his Nintendo Switch. His favorite subject is history and he most enjoys learning about the 1500s. During his time on the GH Falcon, Jesse hopes to test the waters in the field of journalism and get more experience in case he chooses to pursue the profession.

Ava Kruczko, Staff Writer

Ava Kruczko is a junior at Green Hope and this is her first year writing for the GH Falcon. She has always been passionate about writing and now aims to pursue journalism. Ava was drawn to this class since she loves giving light to different people and parts of Green Hope. It is important for her to be involved in school and the community, which she does through yearbook and volunteering. In her free time, you can find her at the gym or playing volleyball, a sport she has been a part of for six years. Ava also loves experimenting with baking and reading classics. She is excited to make an impact through journalism this year!

Regan Orlando, Student Life Editor

Regan Orlando is a senior at Green Hope and has been a part of the GH Falcon staff for two years. She has a spark of interest in writing which led to her passion for journalism. Starting from when she was 12 years old, Regan wrote for her neighborhood paper. As this journey continues she is a published writer and advances at her favorite subject, English. She is also the vice president of the Quill & Scroll Honors society. In Regan’s free time, you will find her enjoying reading or working out at the gym. If she is lucky, she would be tanning on the beach. She can't wait for her future ahead and plans on majoring in journalism.

Annabella Monge, Staff Writer

Annie Monge is a senior at Green Hope and this is her second year writing for the GH Falcon. She has always had a passion for writing which is why she had an attraction to this class. Annie plans on coming back to the staff next year. Another major part of Annie’s identity is swimming. She started swimming at 10 years old and swims for the Green Hope swim team, as well as swimming year-round outside of school. Annie also works as a lifeguard outside of school. Annie loves traveling and has lived in four continents, she wants travel to be a part of her future while pursuing a job in international business.

Aditi Bhadauria, Managing Editor

Aditi Bhadauria is a senior at Green Hope, and this is her third year on the staff. Reading, writing, and creating have always been key interests, which she showcases through multiple outlets. Aditi also loves to travel and has visited several countries, having lived in four of them. Outside of school, you can find her swimming competitively for her club, the TAC Titans, tutoring elementary and middle school students, volunteering at the museum, or simply reading at home. She is involved in multiple Green Hope organizations and is excited to be a part of the GH Falcon as well. Whenever Aditi has free time, she enjoys spending it with friends or watching various 2000s rom-com movies.