Homecoming Themes: Erupt!

I am the student government sponsor at my school. We try to be creative in our planning and execution of the Homecoming Dance. Today the student body voted for their choice of theme from a ballot put together by student government. Here is the ballot we used (references to the school name have been redacted):

Homecoming ‘09
>Jammin’ in Jamaica : Steel drums will pace your dancing as you enjoy an exotic adventure on a Caribbean island. The spirit of Marley will oversee the festivities.
>Sunset on the Prairie: Load up the Conestoga wagon and hoof it on over to sprawling XXXXX Ranch where you will whirl and gambol past the tumbleweed to the sweet sounds of banjos and the lowing of cows. When the sun goes down, the prairie dogs know to hide deep in their dens because all the cowboys and cowgirls of XXXXX Ranch are about to throw the squarest western dance this side of the OK Corral.
>Seven Seas: Sail across the dance floor on a three hour tour while fending off waves of pirates. No ninjas will be admitted.
>Bow Ties and Tie-Dye: Don’t let the Man get you down; instead, relive the spirit of the Sixties as all the flower children of XXXXX turn out for a night of Peace and Understanding. If you’re going to San XXXXXisco, remember to put some flowers in your hair; you’re going to meet some gentle people there.
>Erupt!: Everyone thought Mount XXXXX was dormant until it blew the roof off of Homecoming ’09. Dance at the base of an erupting volcano and save your date from a pyroclastic flow. Asbestos dance wear recommended.

The runaway winner: Erupt! We now have less than two months to plan how to fit a forty foot volcano into our gymnasium. Dang it. They had to pick the toughest one.

Last year's theme was A Night at the Oasis. Read about it HERE.

Peace

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Mid-Week Miscellany: I Couldn't Give That

I teach at a school that attracts a predominantly white, upper-middle class student body. The school has, however, become a bit of a magnet for new Korean immigrants. I teach several of our Korean students, and their efforts to learn American English while trying to fit into a homogeneous and harsh social order has been alternately heart-breaking and humorous to observe. I try to help when I can and one of them in particular comes to me often with questions about the meaning of words and phrases. I have assured him that his eagerness to learn and willingness to ask questions will take him far. The other day he came up to me while I stood in a small crowd of students and asked, "Mr. Chintzibobs, sir, what does it mean to say 'I couldn't give a sh*t'?" It was, as they say, a teachable moment. It turns out he overheard it while listening to a group of teenage girls talking about some guy. I gave him a quick lesson on impolite words and advised him to avoid the gossip of teenage girls if he hoped to learn proper English and if he valued his sanity.


I also have a German foreign exchange student in my US history class. Should I be worried that it might be awkward to teach World War II with her in the room? Maybe I should just leave my Dr. Strangelove impression at home this year.


I don't think I ever updated my many readers concerning homecoming. The students selected as their theme:
A Night at the Oasis: Spend an exotic evening under the stars at a Bedouin campsite; warm yourself by the fire, relax in a Bedouin tent, or whirl like a dervish on the dance floor.

We spent countless hours and $4,800 on what turned out to be the best Bedouin themed homecoming ever! Here are some pictures. You can see many more over at my Flickr page.

We built four 10' x 10' tents out of 2x4's painted a lovely shade named, "cranberry zing."



The roofs were covered with gossamer purchased from Stumps.com.



Because we only expected about 200 guests, we created a small, cozy rectangle in the middle of the gym to create a more intimate space. The rectangle was created with black polyvinyl (again from Stumps.com) stapled to wooden uprights anchored in five gallon buckets filled with concrete. We then placed one tent in each corner.



A dramatic lighted entryway led from an exterior door to the center:


Each tent was decorated with unique imported Indian fabrics (purchased through E-bay), pillows (made from cloth napkins, table runners, and placemats that my wife found for a song), plants from Old Time Pottery, and rugs from Garden Ridge.



Each tent was also equipped with a faux fire (a Chauvet Bob purchased through Amazon.com).


From one tent to another:


Most of the pictures were taken with the lights on; the effect was much warmer when the gym lights went down. The black polyvinyl, which has the appearance in the full light of a massive trash bag day tends to transform into a black void when the lights go off. The night ended up a great success.

Peace
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Homecoming Themes

My life over the next eights weeks will be taken over by planning for Homecoming '08! The exclamation point is to let you know that I am supposed to be excited about this. As student government advisor, it is my job to supervise some twenty students in the planning and production of homecoming week. That includes homecoming week festivities, homecoming pep rally, court and queen presentation at halftime on Friday, and the homecoming dance on Saturday night. Last year's homecoming almost killed me and had me questioning and cursing every aspect of the American educational establishment. There is something deeply ironic about a man who has attended only one dance in is life (and that only because it was required by the school) having responsibility for planning a dance. Last year's dance ended up a huge success, and it was a great way for me to get to know the students at my new school. True, one almost killed me when a large chunk of two-by-four kicked up from his circular saw, just missing my head, and jammed into a wooden fence twenty feet away. The dent in the fence is a daily reminder my brush with death. Later, the same student gashed his hand with a knife and left a trail of blood across the gym floor. No stitches were needed, and no lawyers were called.

This year could be fun. It will certainly be less stressful. Today my students put together the final ballot of homecoming themes for distribution on Tuesday morning. Once the student body votes on the theme, the real work will begin. I am quite proud of the creativity of this set of students; they have a deep desire to avoid ordering dance-in-box from Stumps.com while creating a unique dance atmosphere. Here is the ballot (I have deleted the school name for the usual reasons):

Homecoming ‘08
1. A Night at the Oasis: Spend an exotic evening under the stars at a Bedouin campsite; warm yourself by the fire, relax in a Bedouin tent, or whirl like a dervish on the dance floor.
2. Winter Wonderland: Winter comes early this year as snow falls on [school name]; think Narnia without the creepy goat man.
3. Bright Lights/Big City: Experience a night downtown among the lights of the towering architectural wonders of New [school name] City.
4. In the Jungle: Jaguars frolic in the undergrowth as macaws and howler monkeys screech in the canopy above; Join Expedition [school name] as they celebrate the discovery of the headwaters of Bobs Creek.
5. Welcome to Area 51: The mysteries of Roswell, NM are revealed for the first time as a UFO crash site becomes the launching pad for the rockingest party this side of Sagittarius.

I am personally hoping for #1 or #5.

Peace

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