Homecoming Committee finalizing events for big week (video)

The Maricopa High School Homecoming Committee met for the last time Monday night to finalize their plans for the upcoming Homecoming Week Oct. 17-24.

The majority of the events are set, but last-minute details such as chaperones, security and facility reservations still need to be taken care of. Events such as the Powder Puff football game next Monday night and the community tail gate before the football game Friday night require school chaperones to be present since they are on school property and involve students.
Events such as “Ram Fest 2015” and the Mud Run Thursday night take place at Copper Sky Regional Park and don’t require as much school involvement, but the chaperones are still needed to ensure the safety of MHS students.

“The things that are off campus are a bit different, but we still have to have chaperones listed,” MHS Assistant Principal Krista Cox said. “That’s where some of our gaps are as far as administration’s side of this.”

Outside of finalizing the list of chaperones, some events for Homecoming Week need more participants. The Mud Run Thursday night must have 50 students and staff signed up to compete or the cost will be too great and it won’t happen. The deadline for participants to sign up is this Oct. 16.

The committee also hopes to get vendors more involved with the community at Ram Fest. In order to ensure everyone at the event has something to do; the committee is hoping vendors who provide items to buy will also provide items for the community members to interact with.

“We talked last time about the idea that we want there to be something for everybody to do that comes to the festival,” MHS teacher Bernadette Russoniello said. “Especially if a group is asking to sell something, they should also be offering something for the community to be able to be involved in. So if they’re selling soda, maybe they’re also offering face painting or stickers.”

The committee also decided to get the community more involved by changing the pre-game tailgate from an alumni tailgate to a community tailgate open to everyone. The event will start at 5 p.m. Friday and proceed until the game starts at 7 p.m.

Barring any event cancelations, the current schedule of Homecoming Week events are:
–    Saturday, Oct. 17 – Laser Tag tournament at UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
–    Monday, Oct. 19 – Senior Class vs. Junior Class Powder Puff football game at 6 p.m. at Ram Stadium
–    Tuesday, Oct. 20 – Screening of “Friday Night Lights” at UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at 6 p.m.
–    Wednesday, Oct. 21 – RamFest 2015: Community festival, alumni football game and bonfire at Copper Sky Regional Park from 5 to 9 p.m.
–    Thursday, Oct. 22 – Staff vs. Student Mud Run at Copper Sky Regional Park from 7 to 9 p.m.
–    Friday, Oct. 23 – Community Tailgate and football game at Maricopa High School starting at 5 p.m.
–    Friday, Oct. 23 – Alumni and staff only after party at the Elements Event Center at Ak-Chin Circle from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
– The event is for alumni and staff over the age of 21
–    Saturday, Oct. 24 – Homecoming Dance