By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

Throw the word “homecoming” into a Internet search engine and the list of results is endless. It’s one of those timeless traditions, rites of passage for high school students that live on in scrapbooks – or these days in digital photo files – and photo albums after being pulled from the insides of lockers and memory boards.

Starting next week, students at Brandywine High School will enjoy a little time off from hitting the books, making it to class and managing busy schedules to spend time with family over the holidays.

But when they return the week of Jan. 4, members of each class’ student council are hoping their fellow students will be rested up and ready to celebrate their winter season’s homecoming.

“They do it all,” parent adviser Tina Newman said.

The student council and the homecoming committee have been busy pushing publicity, organizing nominations and getting signs put up in the hallways get spirit up for homecoming, which is Friday, Jan. 8, when the Bobcats face the Buchanan Bucks in boys basketball.

Planning starts, “about a month in advance,” Lauren Leonard and Dawn Smith, junior and senior class presidents said Friday.

This year’s theme is “board games.” The school’s hallways will be decorated and the week starts off with “Aerobics Day.”

Since the weather makes an outdoor parade a bit of a frigid idea, Smith said “instead of floats, we get shopping carts from Big Lots and decorate them and hold a little parade in the gym.”

Several members of the homecoming committee got together Friday and said they have been working hard to increase school spirit and participation during homecoming week.
In addition to various themes for days throughout the week the students have a spirit stick that they pass along from class to class.

Asked what homecoming means to them, Leonard said, “having spirit and pride throughout your school.”

“Especially getting our student body into it,” Smith added.

Participation, they said, is getting better.

Outside of preparations for homecoming, Newman said members of the student council and members of the committee have been active in community service, organizing blood and food drives as well as participating in other activities.

Information about homecoming week has also been included in the schools news broadcast announcements.