Crowns, tiaras, dresses, football, pep rallies, a themed dance and the return of alumni come together to form one of the most memorable high school experiences. It ‘s the tween’s rite of passage to high school stardom.

Homecoming is a tradition celebrated in many high schools that commemorates the “coming home” of graduates of the school. It is centered on a game that can be basketball, ice hockey, soccer, or most commonly, football.

Santa Fe High School let’s loose with a homecoming football game that will take place on Fri., Sept. 30. Due to all the publicity, it seems as if this particular game would gain more attention and focus, but according to starting wide receiver Ethan Sena, that is not the case.

“As a team we prepare for homecoming as we would any other game. The goal is to get a win and have fun,” said Ethan. On the gridiron, Ethan explains, it’s no different than any other game, but he said, “We are motivated to do our best to put on a good show for our school because homecoming is always more fun after a win. We do have to stay focused though because it is easy to get distracted by the hype around the whole event.”

Not only does the football team prepare for the game, but the entire student body is encouraged to as well, through a series of activities planned by student government.

One major contributor to student body participation is the week leading up to the Friday game known as “Spirit Week.” Each day, Monday through Thursday, has a specific theme, and on Friday students are urged to proudly show school spirit by wearing team colors. That same Friday, a homecoming assembly and pep rally take place, in order to excite students for that night’s game.

Santa Fe High’s Spirit Week is as follows:

Mon., Sept. 26: Disney Day

Tues., Sept. 27: Tie Dye Day

Wed., Sept. 28: Wacky Crazy Day

Thurs., Sept. 29: Era Day

Fri., Sept. 30: Spirit Day

The rally and the week that lead up to the game are just one part of a bigger picture. High school royalty, known as the “homecoming court,” consists of a homecoming king and queen who are typically seniors, and a prince and princess for each grade that follows.

Rebekah Velarde, the sophomore princess for the 2015 homecoming court, shared her experience: “The process of running for the homecoming court was a fun time that promoted friendly competition.” According to Rebekah, it is common to hand out candy and the like to campaign for the crown. Campaigning for this year’s homecoming royalty began Sept. 16, and elections were held Sept. 22 during lunch.

Finally, the homecoming hoopla comes to a close with the dance, which take place Sat., Oct. 1. Tickets are on sale for $10 in the plaza every day at lunch. The theme for the dance is Candyland, which Student Government President Samantha Martinez says will be “very colorful and playful.”

This dance is a cliché that always makes an appearance in high school based movies, but Santa Fe High junior Mya Barrens shares that the reality is very different. “I admit that I’m a little biased, but trying to find a dress, if you’re going to wear one, is not as exciting as the movies make it out to be,” she said. “You stress about finding a dress no one else will have, making sure your hair looks good, and how long you have to wear heels. I don’t care about what anyone says — heels are not comfortable, nor will they ever be.”

Mya admits that despite her bias, she can take an objective stance when discussing the gender roles associated with the dance: “I honestly think the guys have a lot of pressure when it comes to dances and asking a girl/boy,” she said. “I mean everyone has that fear of rejection, so I give the guys — and girls — a lot of credit if they do ask someone, even if that person says no.”

Mya concludes that although there is an unnecessary amount of pressure on both sides, she advises, “It’s just a dance. Just go and have fun.”