By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The 2022 Hays High Homecoming festivities are set to kick off this week as students and alumni prepare for a weekend of activities celebrating the school and all those that have been associated with it over the years.
Inside the school, preparations have already begun as students will begin spirit week Monday.
“On Monday, we have pick your Future Fairy Tale day,” said Rilee Schwarz, Hays High School Stuco vice-president. “So you'll dress up as your favorite college or your dream college. Tuesday is Enchanted by Music Day, and students will dress up as their favorite music genre. Wednesday is Once Upon a Time, where you will dress up as your favorite character. Thursday is What Cast Do You Belong To, where you'll dress up as your class color. And then on Friday, it's Dress Like Royalty, so everybody will dress up in formal wear.”
The dress-up days will accompany the week’s Enchanted Forest theme, which will also be reflected in floats in the upcoming Homecoming parade, said Hannah Eikenberry, Hays High School Stuco president.
“We also have our decorations around the school are all related to that,” Schwarz said. “And all of our dress-up days are kind of somewhat tied into that as well. So we kind of try and carry that out throughout the week.”
While anticipation for the weekend events builds in the school, alums will have the opportunity to kick off their activities with an in-school assembly.
“On Friday of homecoming week, we're going to have a Hays High showcase assembly where all of our alumni come back for an assembly with students,” Eikenberry said. “And we're going to introduce something new this year, where we introduce a lot of our clubs and our sports, as well as introducing the alumni to our students going by class reunion.”
She said the inclusion of the two-surviving member of the class of 1947 would make this year's assembly especially moving.
“That's our main thing,” Eikenberry said. “That assembly and then in the parade, they ride on their class floats. And we have, I think, 12 classes total coming back, maybe 14. And that's going up to 75 years with 1947.”
After the showcase, Schwarz said that alums would gather for a barbecue at noon.
Later on, Friday parade participants will line up at 4 p.m. for a 5 p.m. planned start. Parade applications will be accepted until Monday, Schwarz said.
With ongoing Oktoberfest festivities planned in Municipal Park, the parade route will end a few blocks shorter than usual.
“We don't really want traffic up in that area,” Schwarz said. “So I think we're cutting it off at Eighth Street.”
“Other than that, yeah, it's just a classic Hays parade,” Eikenberry said.
This year’s Grand Marshall is Hays Larks head coach Frank Leo.
Following the parade, the Hays High football team is set to take the field at 7 p.m. This year, the team will face Dodge City.
“You can just head on over there after the parade,” Schwarz said. “We're playing Dodge City, who is a part of our conference, so that's a big game for us.”
Homecoming royalty will be crowned during halftime.
Both Schwarz and Eikenberry are Homecoming Queen candidates, along with Avery Harmoney, Savannah Lawson and Lily Biggs. King candidates include Royal Gantt, Karsten Koenke, Remy Stull, Blake Buckles and Tanner Werth.
The student body will make the selections by vote on Thursday.
“There's a little bit of friendly competition, but it's all in good fun and good taste,” Eikenberry said. “And then also our Hays High Showcase, where it's usually called the formal assembly, and that's where the candidates are showcased with their parents and go out and meet, and you learn a little bit more about the couples.
“That will also be taking place at the end of the assembly,” she continued. “But we're introducing the club introductions and sports introductions to that. So, it's just a new name, but the same thing, with a little added fun.”
