Homecoming games go big, homecoming skits go home

By Ariel Lee and James Yu Nov. 9, 2023

Students waving Bingo slips scramble to the doors of the Gay Brasher Auditorium. Glossy bead necklaces shimmer in the sunlight as they are wagered. A matte emerald bill flutters in the morning breeze. For Homecoming this year, ASB pulled the deep-rooted tradition of Homecoming skits out from the ground and planted a new form of class competition: Homecoming games.

Landon Trinh

The skits, which were a school tradition for over 20 years, were not performed last year due to a lack of interest and participation from the student body. According to Meg Walsh, Activities Director and Leadership Advisor, the new games are an alternative that allowed all students to participate voluntarily.

Walsh explained how the games were a more approachable option compared to the skits because ASB provided all materials to students. Additionally, the games promoted more interaction between classes, as all students could participate.

Senior Emelie Kim, ASB Design Captain and Homecoming Dance Chair, helped create the games. Kim and other ASB officers finalized the games after brainstorming a list of potential games that were related to the Vegas theme of Homecoming and accessible to all students.

“One of the main reasons for why Homecoming skits had such low participation in recent years was the time commitment attached to being in the skit. As such, for Homecoming games, ASB chose games that would be easy to participate in while also being fun and competitive,” Kim said.

ASB worked hard to set up the games: students prepared bags of Bingo cards, purchased thousands of necklaces for Rock Paper Scissors, created prompts for “Family Feud” and arrived at school early to hide money for “Money Heist.”

On Monday, students were given a Bingo card and numbers were announced throughout the day until lunch. Students who scored Bingo won a phone card holder. For Tuesday’s Rock Paper Scissors, students were each given one necklace at the start of the day and competed against one other, with the loser forfeiting their necklaces to the winner. Students signed up to participate in “Family Feud” during lunch in the gym on Wednesday. Lastly, for “Money Heist,” students looked for fake dollar bills scattered throughout the campus on Thursday.

Senior Alex Hemprich preferred the Homecoming games over the skits because they were fun to play; his favorite game was “Family Feud.” Similarly, Freshman Emma Huang, who won Bingo, looks forward to playing again next year.

Due to positive reception, ASB will continue the games to cultivate school spirit. While Homecoming’s Las Vegas theme may stay in Vegas, the new tradition this year’s Homecoming pioneered will continue for years to come.

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About the contributors

Ariel Lee

staff writer

Ariel Lee is a freshman at Leland High School and is a page writer for her first year in journalism. In her free time, she likes to sleep, do nothing, binge shows (kdramas), and listen to music.

James Yu

staff writer

James Yu is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. During his free time, he's obsessing over Speech and Debate, an active Boy Scout, and hanging out with friends.

Landon Trinh

photo/media team

Landon Trinh is a junior at Leland High School and is apart of the Photo-Media team for The Charger Account. He's a big concert go-er and hoodie connoisseur and loves to daydream in his free time.