As the long awaited night approached, STUCO president Sarah Wilson counted down the days until Friday, Sept. 29, the night of the homecoming dance.

On homecoming, students enjoyed a night full of dancing and socializing while dressed up. When the dance ended, most students could leave, but STUCO members had to stay and help take down all the decor and props.

“After the dance I had to stay and help take down decorations which took about 30 minutes,” Wilson said.

The 30-minute take down ended months of planning efforts by STUCO members to prepare for the dance. The hardest step was choosing the theme.

“The officers meet at the beginning of the summer to go over different theme ideas,” Wilson said. “Then later we eventually vote on which one we want to use.”

The theme was Midnight in a Garden, and STUCO members brainstormed ideas on how they could transform the commons into an extravagant setting. All the planning came down to the few short days before the dance.

“Mrs. Bange has magazines with stores that sell school dance stuff,” Wilson said. “We look through them to find things that fit our theme and then we buy them. STUCO builds the decorations and props in the senior commons the Thursday and Friday before homecoming.”

For STUCO, planning the homecoming dance is a big part of the club’s duties. STUCO members help set up for the event and even attend the dance, along with over 1,000 students.

“Being able to be a part of it and watching it start from nothing and turning into something was my favorite part of the process,” Wilson said.

The homecoming king and queen received their crowns during the event. Seniors Paige Pinzke and Ryan Olwig took home the titles this year.