This is the first of a three-part series on the 2025-2026 school year’s homecoming festivities. The Accolade will focus first on the homecoming court candidates, the first-time homecoming dance-off and the inauguration of the homecoming king.

With over 1,500 attendees at the previous homecoming dance, the Associated Student Body [ASB] aims to surpass that number with this year’s “A Dark Night” theme on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Based on “The Batman,” the 7:30-10:30 p.m. dance will take place in the quad. For the first time, each class is assigned a character this year: Robin for the freshmen, Harley Quinn for the sophomores, Joker for the juniors and Batman for the seniors. 

ASB co-social commissioner junior Chloe Kang, the head of the social committee planning the homecoming dance, said she looks forward to the event this year, especially because of the theme’s novelty.

“It’s a really outerworldly theme which could stir some controversy, but it’s something that we literally have never seen before, so it gives us more to work with, especially with storylines and assembly ideas,” Kang said. “The fact that the dance is right after Halloween also gave us the opportunity to do something more unique.”

ASB adviser David Fenstermaker said the atypical football schedule pushed homecoming later than anticipated, resulting in the opportunity to host the dance the day after Halloween.

“We always want to consult with the coaches and the athletic director, so we don’t just say this is the day of the game,” Fenstermaker said. “We want to make it the game that they want to play that makes sense for their program and all that stuff.”

With this chance, Kang said the committee plans to transform the quad into Gotham City, a fictional metropolis from “The Batman,” featuring fog, a phone booth and a bat-light. 

The ASB tech committee created a four-minute film to reveal this year’s theme, which was played on the Jumbotron during break in the quad on Thursday, October 2.

Since then, the ASB reopened the annual homecoming proposal contest on Instagram (@shhs.proposals), where the couple receiving the most votes will win two free tickets to the dance. 

Tickets went on sale on Monday, Oct. 6, in the Sunny Hills webstore, with the same costs as last year. The prices started at $25 with the ASB Gold Card and $30 without, and the final prices for the week, Monday-Thursday, Oct. 27-30, will be $45 with and $50 without, Kang said.

For the first time, a group discount was also available on Friday, Oct. 24, where groups of four or more students could purchase tickets for $25.

Attendees will experience activities including arcade games and photo booths, and receive snacks and dessert featuring Joe’s Italian Ice and a new snack replacing Wetzels Pretzels, after ASB revealed its cancellation on a Friday, Oct. 24, Instagram post. 

“A high school has to have a couple things to do business with a company; they got to know your business is legit and they’re going to pay you after you deliver the goods,” Fenstermaker said. “This group needed the money up front, and what they were asking we just couldn’t do.”

The former snack option will be replaced with funnel cake, fries and agua fresca, he said. 

ASB also initiated a new SH homecoming class dance competition, in which two dance production members, representing their grade, create and teach choreography based on their group’s characters.

To join, ASB Pep Commissioner junior Relena Capulong said students submitted an interest form and attended a class-specific informational meeting at the end of September, which covered general practice times and important dates. Those participating must attend weekly lunch and after-school practices as well as work to make posters to fill the class halls.

During the homecoming assembly and halftime show, each class, made up of around 50 members, took turns performing. With dance coach Leiana Volen, athletic director Paul Jones and science teachers Brian Kim and Monet Taylor judging the results, Capulong said that the scores will add up based on the execution, backdrops and difficulty of their choreography. The winning class will earn points for their Battle of the Classes team. 

Kang said the idea was inspired by the other schools at the Orange County Leadership Conference [OCL] at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

“Honestly, it’s something that we’ve never done before, so the process is kind of hard, especially because we don’t know how often we have to practice, what we have to practice or what the dances should look like,” the ASB co-social commissioner said.  

Sophomore Leahni Alvarez said she plans on attending the dance with her friends.

“I think homecoming is a high school experience everyone should have, especially as an American, because you don’t find it anywhere else but in the U.S.,” Alvarez said. “I plan on getting ready with my friends, taking pictures, going to homecoming and then sleeping at my house.” 

After attending the 2024 homecoming dance as a freshman, she said she was shocked by the contrast of last year’s Swan Lake-theme with this year’s Batman-theme.

“Personally, I don’t like the theme, but I like that it’s different; I feel like you wouldn’t find this theme anywhere else,” Alvarez said. “It also gives us a chance to wear dark colors, but you can’t really wear light colors, so it’s difficult.” 

On the other hand, junior Aiden Choi said he is happy about the change in color scheme. 

“I like this theme because it’s creative and unique,” Choi said. “‘A Dark Night’ gives the guys a proper reason to wear all black and makes it easier to follow the dress code.” 

Having experienced the homecoming dance in his freshman and sophomore years, he plans to attend the event again to keep up his streak. 

“You can only go to homecoming four times in your life, so you might as well go all four times,” the junior said. 

The homecoming court was announced on Friday, Oct. 24, in the quad during break, revealing the three homecoming princesses, seven queen candidates and three king contenders. 

Like last year, the official homecoming queen was announced during halftime on Thursday, Oct. 30, during the football game. However, this year, a homecoming king was also revealed for the first time. 

“As the social commissioner, I hope everyone enjoys it,” Kang said. “I hope it’s a memorable homecoming for all of them.” 

ASB adviser David Fenstermaker said he hopes attendees enjoy the dance and have a good time being part of a memorable experience. 

“I mean, we’re in the business of trying to give people a chance to have a fun memory, so if they all get together with their friends and they have a good memory of going to this dance, that’s all I care about,” Fenstermaker said. “Take some pictures, have fun, be safe, go home.”