Inquisitive minds at Perry wonder: why is homecoming in early September rather than late October as it has been in the past? There are many aspectsthat play a part in choosing a homecoming date, such as the opponent that varsity football is up against for the annual homecoming game, and when fall break starts and ends.

The football team will be up against Gila Ridge High School for the homecoming game on September 12th for which Principal Dan Serrano explains, “Typically you want a game that you think you’re going to win.”

During fall break, it is problematic to have the homecoming game and dance because students and teachers go out of town for vacation and other activities.

Brandon Keeling, dean of Perry High and advisor of StuGo, delegates the tasks of disciplining students and making sure that StuGo puts on the best homecoming possible.

“I hold myself to very high standards; so everything I do, I want to do with excellence,” Keeling  expresses on juggling his two positions here at Perry.

Having an early homecoming presents a challenge to not only Keeling but to the homecoming committee and other students involved in planning this year’s festivities.

“There’s a lot of stuff that has to happen, a lot of contracts that have to get signed, a lot of orders that need to get written in order to get everything here on time,” Keeling mentions on preparing for homecoming.

In order to have the greatest homecoming Perry has to offer, there are multiple aspects in making sure that happens such as having a great theme, making sure that students have a good time at the homecoming carnival, and that they have a DJ that rocks the floor with his or her music.

In discussing the topic of this year’s theme, Keeling answers with, “I think if you can have a really good theme where you can tie all of the week’s activities into that theme, that’s awesome.”

Homecoming dance committee chair, senior Ashley Spencer, explains that choosing the theme is a time consuming process in which all of the StuGo members take part in.

“We split up into committees of where you are and you come up with a bunch of names and themes,” Spencer explains, “and then from there, I write all of them down and then we put them under the projector.”

She explains that in order to come to a decision, they go through a process of elimination to come to a conclusion on the theme.

This year’s homecoming theme, “Masked”, a Mystery Masquerade, has student body buzzing about what Perry has planned for this mystifying motif.

The homecoming carnival, which falls on September 11th, is going to contain different rides and inflatables that is said to be a good time.

Keeling adds, “As far as the dance goes, ultimately it comes down to the DJ and how the DJ does; we’re really excited not only about the decorations but about some of the new sound [equipment] that they’re going to be able to bring and I think the students are really going to enjoy it.”