By: Sara Jones, RCHS
Most seniors spend the fall getting ready for their school’s homecoming dance, but this year a group of friends from different high schools decided to do something a little different. Instead of going to separate dances at separate schools, they planned their own “Fake Homecoming” day to celebrate their senior year together. It was a mix of excitement, creativity, and a lot of laughing and it showed how friendship can shape the memories we carry into the future.
Since everyone in the group goes to different schools, they had all realized that they were rarely free at the same time. Even when they were free, their homecoming dates did not match up. Ava Marie, one of the Seaforth seniors who planned the event said she didn’t want senior year to end without at least one big moment that all of them could share. She said that Fake Homecoming was their way of making something special on their own and not waiting around for everything to line up perfectly. She explained that it felt important to create a memory that belonged to all of them equally.
The group picked a weekend right in the middle of homecoming season to make it feel even more real. They spent the morning getting ready together doing hair, makeup, and hyping one another up like it was an actual dance night. They even decorated a backyard with lights and a homemade backdrop so their photos would look like something straight out of a real event. Hannah Pooley, a Trinity Highschool senior in the group, said she loved that they didn’t need a school gym or fancy decorations to make it feel meaningful. She said that being together mattered more than the event itself and that this was the kind of thing she would remember when she looked back on senior year.
Ava’s mom, who also works as a photographer, helped capture everything. She said she loved seeing the girls come up with their own ideas and bring them to life. She also said it was inspiring to watch teenagers take control of their own experiences instead of feeling limited by schedules or school boundaries.
For many RCHS students, this story hits close to home. Homecoming season brings excitement but, it also brings the reminder that friends often drift into different routines and different schools. A lot of people here know how it feels to miss old friends or wish that everyone could be in the same place for big milestones. The fake homecoming shows that students can still celebrate together if they’re willing to get creative.
The photos from the day tell the whole story. There are group pictures of everyone lined up in their dresses and behind-the-scenes shots where they were laughing while adjusting dresses and fixing curls. It looked just like a real homecoming photoshoot except it was even more personal because they built the whole thing themselves. Tons of Tiktoks were taken and showed the transition from getting ready to posing together, and it brings the whole event to life in a really fun way.
Fake homecoming might not be an official school event but it carried the same spirit as any homecoming dance. It reminded everyone that senior year is not only about the events schools plan but also about the memories you make with the people you care about. For this group of seniors, the day was a reminder that homecoming is more than a dance. It’s about celebrating where you are now, who you have become and who’s stayed by your side.
